ASUU STRIKE LATEST: ASUU VOWS TO CONTINUE STRIKE

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has blamed the rot in the Nigerian university system on the Executive Secretary of the
National University Commission, Julius Okojie, saying his failure to
insist on quality has bastardised Nigerian universities.
The lecturers also vowed to continue their strike unless the federal
government honours the 2009 agreement it had with the union.
In a statement signed by its University of Ibadan branch chairman,
Olusegun Ajiboye, ASUU renewed its...
call for the scraping or a total
overhaul of the regulatory institution if the nation wishes to get it
right in university education management.
While calling on the National Assembly to beam its searchlight on the
activities of the NUC, Mr. Ajiboye said the recent NEEDS assessment
report on universities reflects how much the commission has failed in
its duties as a regulator.
According to him, the report undertaken by genuine academics
contradicts NUC's accreditation exercises which gave 'controversial'
clean bill of health to most universities through "magomago
accreditation."

The union contended that only in a society like Nigeria would Mr.
Okojie still remain in office after being heavily indicted in the
report, saying "in sane climes, the NUC boss ought to have resigned
through the revelations made in the NEEDS assessment report."

Mr. Okojie had, last week, absorbed his commission of any wrongdoing
in the rot plaguing public universities in the country, particularly
as regards undeserved accreditation, blaming members of the ASUU
instead.

Mr. Ajiboye, who described the statement credited to the NUC boss as
'careless', accused Mr. Okojie of using his cronies who can do his
biddings to embark on accreditation.

He said the success of the 2011 elections was based on the patriotic
zeal and contributions of genuine and patriotic ASUU members
nationwide saying that was why the election was free of hanky-panky
recorded in past elections.

The ASUU statement titled 'Where Okojie Got It Wrong,' insisted that
the NUC boss is fond of using his 'yes sir' boys to do hatchet jobs
during accreditations, thereby compromising quality most of the time.

The union said its almost three-month-old strike Is fully on, adding
that the it would not allow itself to be fooled again with 'promisory
notes' of the federal government which had never worked in the past.
"ASUU cannot be blamed for NUC 'magomago' accreditations. Rather than
blaming the Union, Okojie should take full responsibility for all the
fraudulent deeds in the NUC, including the work and eat
accreditations.
"The NUC knows the kind of academics they select for their ignoble
exercises. These are cronnies of the big man in the NUC. They can
never say no to his biddings. Nigerians should be proud of ASUU in
it's efforts at repositioning public universities in the country. One
of these major efforts is the NEEDS Assessment Document.
"This was a product of a rigorous academic exercise carried out by
dependable and credible members of our Union. Unlike the numerous
faulty accreditation reports which had given these universities clean
bill of health, the NEEDS Assessment Report stands out as a classical
document of reference detailing the rot and decay in public
universities in Nigeria. All well meaning Nigerians can see the
contrast between okojie's 'packaged accreditation reports' and a
credible job done by ASUU.
"It has become very clear from the Needs Assessment that Okojie and
his cohort of accreditors have fooled this country for too long.
Enough they say is enough. Time is now for the Government to beam a
searchlight on the activities of the NUC.
"The Education Committees in both the Senate and House of
Representatives have an arduous task to do here. Nigerians are calling
for dismantling of an omnibus body that has done the country more harm
than good. NUC must go.
"Professor Julius Okojie cannot absolve himself from the rot in the
university system by regulating quantity instead of ensuring quality
delivery," ASUU said