NBA Seeks End To ASUU’s Strike
The Nigeria Bar Association has urged the Federal Government to end the industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The President of the association, Mr Olumide Akpata, made the call during a press conference as part of the activities of the association’s two-day Legal Education Summit in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Akpata said it was high time government at all levels got serious about running the education system in Nigeria, especially from budgetary allocation.
The summit in collaboration with Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti with the theme, “Reimagining Legal Education in Nigeria” would hold between Tuesday, March 29 and Wednesday, March 30.
“Our government should stop paying lip service to the issue of the strike. The government needs to get serious about how it wants to run education in Nigeria right from budgetary allocation.
“You can’t overemphasize how important education is in the life of any person. It is easy to ask teachers to go back to work, but how do you do the right thing to motivate them?
“Education at all levels must get the seriousness it deserves. Let the government fulfil its own side of the pact. Education is too important to be left to politicking and grandstanding.
“Government should quickly do what is necessary to open our schools for normal activities.
“Strike and school closure is becoming a tragicomedy, it has reoccurred over and over again. With time, the brand “Nigerian trained” may become an albatross, because employers will start asking how you were trained.
“So, It is important for the government to resolve the issue if they think education of the Nigerian children is still important.”
The Chairman of the 2022 Summit Planning Committee and ABUAD Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Damilola Olawuyi, in his remarks, said the summit was geared towards resetting the system.
Olawuyi noted that policymakers in Nigeria had come to the realization that the legal education system had declined geometrically.
He disclosed that Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo was expected to declare open the summit and doubled as one of the discussants at the event.
He listed other discussants to include Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, and Chief Afe Babala (SAN).
Others are; the Chairman, Nigerian Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ngige, Director General, Nigeria Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu Ciroma and heads of various universities across the country.
