ASUU strike: Bells VC urges FG on adequate funding of education system

The Vice-Chancellor, Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun, Prof Jeremiah Ojediran, has urged the Federal Government to fund the education system adequately.

He said this was necessary in order to reduce recurring strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Ojediran spoke in an interview with our reporter on Thursday in Ota, Ogun.

He was reacting to the ASUU ‘s declaration on Monday that its nationwide strike, which it started on Feb. 14, and extended for various periods, had become indefinite.

ASUU’s action is to press home demands it is making on the Federal Government, which it believes have not been properly addressed.

“The Federal Government needs to ensure that it funds education system properly so as to attain quality education.

“There is the need to adequately fund education system because there is no country across the world where education is free,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor urged both the Federal Government and ASUU to dialogue so as to end the current impasse.

Ojediran called on ASUU to consider the situation of the country and adjust some of its demands for the sake of the students, parents and education system at large.

He, however, noted the need for ASUU to seek to preserve a quality education system that could be rated high in the world.

Ojediran also stressed the need for the Federal Government to be more committed to the education system.

He said that most of the public universities across the country had become a shadow of what they were in the past.

The Vice-Chancellor advised the Federal Government to always honour and keep to its agreements with ASUU.

He said that this would make the union to have confidence in the government.