ASUU to Buhari: Babalakin’s ‘arrogance’ may cost you 2019, gives condition to end strike

The Professor Biodun Ogunyemi-led Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), will, next week, write President Muhammadu Buhari on the ‘arrogance’ of Dr. Wale Babalakin, the Chairman of the 16-member Government Renegotiating Team of the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government Agreement.
The letter from the lecturers, to be sent through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, will inform Buhari that unless Babalakin is removed as the chairman of the team “because of his arrogance”, ASUU strike will not be called off.
To them, Federal Government’s insistence that Babalakin should continue as the chairman may also cost Buhari the 2019 elections “because of the thousands of voters in the academic community”.
The lecturers resolved to write Buhari through Mustapha “because the letter we wrote to the Education Minister, Malam Adamu Adamu, seems not to have any effect”.
ASUU members began an indefinite strike last week over failure of government to fund tertiary education.
Three lecturers from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), who spoke on Saturday, said ASUU National Officers will send the letter next week.

Preferring to speak on condition of anonymity because they are not national officers of ASUU, they declared that officials of university chapters of the union have been briefed on the latest action.
They said: “What we are asking for is simple: the government should fulfil its side of agreement reached with us. We don’t think this is too much because no meaningful development will take place if the education sector is neglected.
“We all saw how the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation injected N786 billion in Polaris Bank (former Skye Bank). That is just one bank. Now, we are talking about the whole education sector. If the government can inject close to N1 trillion in just one bank, what stops it from injecting such amount to save the education sector?
“We have met government officials several times and we are saddened at the way the matter is being handled. Many Nigerians do not even know that the government entered various agreements and Memorandum of Understanding with ASUU.
“Now, because of Dr. Babalakin’s arrogance, it looks as if the government is not bothered about what might happen. That is why we have taken the necessary action of going on strike to revitalise our universities.
“We are not happy disrupting the academic calendar of Nigerian universities but what is the quality of the education in the country today?
“We need to let the President know that Dr. Babalakin’s arrogance is assuming a dangerous dimension. He is a product of public education. Now, he is against quality education at public level. We want him removed as the chairman of the team for us to move forward.
“He is the one blocking every avenue to make the government see reason with what ASUU is saying.
The challenge is that children of most of those in government don’t attend public schools in Nigeria. They send their wards abroad. There is no responsible parent who wants his children to spend six to seven years in the university for a four-year course. Even when the Education Minister, Malam Adamu Adamu, shows concern, Babalakin will be saying otherwise. When the current strike started, we all saw Adamu appealing to lecturers to return to classes. But, it is not about lecturers being adamant. We also have children in universities. But, the challenge is that government has abdicated its responsibilities completely when the issue borders on education. It is like Babalakin believes education should be for the rich.
“We are writing a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari next week. It is either he removes Babalakin as the Chairman of the negotiating team or we continue the strike. Babalakin’s insistence that a tuition regime must be introduced into public universities in Nigeria is not a patriotic act. He has jettisoned the cardinal principles of collective bargaining, making a mockery of the renegotiation process”.