INTERVIEW WITH NAUS (OYO STATE CHAPTER) CHAIRMAN

Polity Reporters had an interview conversation with The Executive Chairman of NAUS (National Association of University Students) Oyo State Chapter on the present state of education in the country, most especially the ongoing ASUU strike.

Polity Reporters: Can we know your name and your portfolio?
NAUS Chairman: I am Comr. Shittu Ridwan Adeniyi, The Executive Chairman, National Association of University Students (NAUS) Oyo State Chapter.

Polity Reporters: How has it been with your role as the NAUS (National Association of University Students) Chairman so far?
NAUS Chairman: We thank God for being faithful to us. However, it is so tasking and challenging; I believe the position of leadership is to serve others adequately, efficiently, and effectively. Which we have made our ideology, and university students in Oyo State can testify to this. We are fully committed to the mainstreaming of students with the core interest of protecting the dignity and integrity of university students and uniting the students for academic excellence. We built synergy between private universities and public universities in the state. We have been in the vanguard of the campaigning for equity, justice, good leadership, and qualitative education in Nigeria and the state particularly.

Polity Reporters: ASUU strike has been on for two months now, what is your take on this?
NAUS Chairman: It’s so disappointing and disheartening to witness another incessant ASUU strike in our Educational System today, from 1999 to date; it shows how irresponsible our governments are.
ASUU is on strike for like 2 months and government is not doing anything about it. It shows they lack an illusion about the damages the strike is causing to the future of this country (Young Leaders). Students that are supposed to be in class learning are now engaging in all sorts of crime and corrupt practices.
Well, we have been engaging both ASUU and the Federal Government before and during this strike at all levels but it’s not yielding the results we want.
Now, I think it is time to engage our fellow students by enlightening ourselves on this current situation we are in because, I believe if we can identity our problems, it will be easier to find solutions to them.

Polity Reporters: Do you think the Federal Government is underfunding public education thereby giving ASUU and other like-unions the will to embark on strike anytime they feel there is need for such?
NAUS Chairman: Hmmm! What we are experiencing in our public institutions is so bad. Let’s talk about our academic syllabus first. What we are taught on campuses is outdated compared to what our mates and colleagues are learning in world-leading States. Let’s talk about our infrastructures, overcrowded lecture theaters without audio, visual materials. How do you expect lecturers to impart knowledge to students in these conditions. Let’s talk about accommodation on our campuses. Majority of our institutions lack halls of residence, existing ones are dilapidated with bedbugs and are overcrowded, laboratories and libraries, computer centers, health facilities are in shambles, and staffs are underpaid. I am asserting to you that no qualitative education can be gotten from schools in these conditions listed above.
Therefore, the federal government is underfunding public education. ASUU and the other unions have the right to agitate for their right from the government, but I am not in support of the strike mode, however that is the only language our government wants to listen to.
What is the big deal, if our Premier University is been placed side by side with Harvard and Oxford University?
We National Association of University Students (NAUS) Oyo State want to state unequivocally that ASUU demands are genuine and we do believe it’s for the progress and stability of our university system. For us, we do not see where the following demand by the academic staff union is faulty.
Reviewing of the salary structure of Academic staff which has remained the same since 10 years. In the agreement they freely entered into in 2009, both parties agree to always review and revisit it every 3 years, but for 10 years now, Government as arrogantly refused to obey its agreement with ASUU. So why is Government reneging on the agreement they never did under duress? The Federal Government must do the needful!
The Integrated Personnel and Payrolls Information System (IPPIS) developed my government to pay civil servants and strangely Academic staff( a group of people that are clearly different) as since shown its failures and it’s even causing major challenge within the university system. Even the Government recently in the national dailies reported that IPPIS software was hack! That is a major revelation of the weakness of that platform as a payment system but rather than embracing the UTAS payment system that ASUU developed taking into consideration the university setting the Government continues to reject it even when his agency (NITDA) has since confirmed that the UTAS payment system as almost 98% success rate!
We in NAUS call on the Government to not unnecessarily grandstand and continue to waste scarce resources on the IPPIS. Government should as a matter of urgency embrace the UTAS and start to use it for payment of University staff salaries and allowances!
On the Earned Allowances, we call on Government to immediate pay the workers their due money. To us, we consider it as an act of irresponsibility for people to work extra hours for a job you are supposed to even hire new staff for and still refused to pay them their allowances. We wondered why the Government and national assembly members continue to pay themselves huge and unjustifiable allowances but continue to make our teachers and fathers to cry for their meager entitlements.
On the Revitalization Funds, the Government as failed woefully in the last 7years! We call on the Government to do more and help lift the dying infrastructures in our universities back to life! Across the campuses in our country, NAUS calls on the Government to as a matter of urgency come to the rescue of our infrastructures if the Government truly wants the Nigerian graduates to be able to function and compete effectively in the 21st century!
These should be critically addressed in such a manner that will put long-term solution in place. If not for any other thing, the future of generations of Nigeria youths that will be leaders tomorrow should be the utmost concern.

Polity Reporters: Considering the economy system of Nigeria being of ‘Mixed Economy’, is it preferably and alternatively high time private individuals, organizations and NGO’s come in to the rescue of education funding?
NAUS Chairman: Yes, of course, in the developed countries, the private sectors and private individuals, organizations, and NGOs are contributing to their educational system because they see education as a germane priority. It’s high time private organizations and private individuals come to the rescue of our educational system. Although, this may be somehow difficult because the majority of private individuals are already having private universities.

Polity Reporters: The slang of ‘School is a scam’ has directly and indirectly been supported by various university unions’ strike like ASUU, SSANU, NASU, and ASUP. What is your take on this?
NAUS Chairman: I don’t agree that school is a scam, however, the only problem is that schools in our country are losing their values. I think one of the goals of education is to be enlightened and informed to improve the individual’s potential in other to collectively improve the society but the contrary is our case in this country. The goal of the majority of people attending school now are days is to have a certificate in other to be a government worker, or to oppress others that are not privileged to attend the higher institutions. And that is the deliberate actions of the Elite.

Polity Reporters: What effort has NAUS made in ensuring there is a halt to the ongoing ASUU strike?
NAUS Chairman: We have done several meetings with the stakeholders in the educational system in the country at all levels, press releases, press conferences, and protests.
However, we are not relenting on our actions, permit me to inform Students and the General public that NAUS Oyo State is planning an online symposium concerning our Educational System and ASUU Strike that will be massive and educative. Also, other actions will be communicated after the symposium.

Polity Reporters: Really credit your detailed expressions Sire.
NAUS Chairman: it is a pleasure Sir.

Polity Reporters: As a student, what is the impact of the current situation on your academic journey?
NAUS Chairman: I laugh, the fact is that I am so much interested in academics before but currently, I am not encouraged in this country because of what we are experiencing on campus.
I am meant to use four years in University but it’s now becoming six to seven years without studying medicine even though what we are learning and the mode of our educational system are outdated.

Polity Reporters: To save students from suffering under the trauma of automatically adding 1 or 2 years to their years of study, there has to be a stop to the annual ASUU strike festival. How do you think this can be achieved?
NAUS Chairman: It’s the Nigeria factor that is causing the annual incessant strike, Government should take responsibility by declaring a state of emergency in our educational system and total restructuring should be accomplished in that sector.

Polity Reporters: What has NAUS done in ensuring students are not just idle in a time like this?
NAUS Chairman: Although, the majority of public university students have been asked to go home by the school management, which is not too suitable for us because it is ASUU that is on strike, not university students, however, our unions have been organizing an online skill acquisition programs, and entrepreneurship programs like digital marketing and other soft skills program particularly, affected campuses in the state.
We have also enrolled a few students in hard skill acquisition in Oyo state.

Polity Reporters: Your final take and advice to Nigerian Students?
NAUS Chairman: We are begging all the players involved in this matter to shelve their swords for the sake of education and our future.
We also advise university students to utilize this period effectively to add value to themselves while we continue to agitate to put an end to ASUU Strike.

God bless you,
God bless NAUS,
God bless Nigeria,
Thanks so much, Polity Reporters for the privilege.

Polity Reporters: Thanks a lot for your time. We really appreciate it.
NAUS Chairman: Thank you Sir.

 

 

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