The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Tuesday asked President Bola Tinubu to arrest the very pitiable conditions in Nigeria public universities.
Chairman of the University of Ibadan chapter of ASUU, Professor Ayo Akinwole, who gave the charge said this can be done by reviewing the conditions of service in the public universities in terms of salaries, allowances, and infrastructure to stop many good hands from resigning and leaving the country.
Prof. Akinwole said resignation of lecturers in search of greener pastures are now threatening Nigeria public universities, leaving most departments and units in Nigeria’s public universities short-staffed.
He added that the poor and delayed salaries, unpaid allowances, poor infrastructure, lack of respect for the academic community, and the seeming dwindling hope are some of the factors responsible for the resignation of lecturers in the past few months.
He stated that Nigeria public universities are in a very pitiable conditions with stress and frustration visible on the faces of poorly-remunerated lecturers.
The ASUU chairman said it is unfortunate that the same government that is not funding education has a National Assembly proposing to establish 32 more universities, adding that establishing more universities will not solve the problem.
Professor Akinwole said rather than establishing more universities, government should improve the carrying capacity of existing universities to be able to admit more students.
He said universities all over the world are poaching more quality hands, and if not halted by the government, through intentional reviewing upward conditions of service, it will be difficult to “retain the best hands.”
