NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS (NANS)
SENATE SECRETARIAT
Ag. Senate President
Comrade John Shima
Senate Clerk
Julius Nnaji
Address:
Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State
tel: 08066122850, 08036818797
TEXT OF JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS (NANS) AND THE NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL
OF NIGERIA (NYCN) ON THE STATE OF EDUCATION IN NIGERIA AND THE
WAY FORWARD.
Protocol:
Nigeria is our only country and we must all do all we can to ensure its rapid
development. That is the basis on which we are addressing you gentlemen of the
press today on the state of education in Nigeria and the way forward.
The quality of education in Nigeria is dropping every year though the standard
can still compete favourably with what is obtainable in many advanced countries
of the world. A lot of factors are responsible for this decline and have been
numerously identified which is why the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian
Universities (ASUU) is on strike now for over two months. This decline we must
point out is not restricted to our tertiary institutions alone.
The level of decay of infrastructures in our tertiary institutions is the main reason
for the current ASUU strike. Nigerian students have been idle for seventy eight
days now. Hence, they have been the devil’s workshop for that time. Little wonder
the reported increase in crime and criminality in the month of July and August.
It is in the light of this that we lend our voices to the so to say new lease of life in the
education sector through the cabinet reshuffle to retool the government. While
commending the President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for seeing the need to
attempt a different approach in confronting the challenges in the sector, it is very
important that as the principal beneficiaries and victims of the actions and
inactions in that sector that we have our say. We therefore state the following:
1). ASUU and the Federal Government should go back to the negotiating table.
Even after wars, issues are resolved at the round table. Nigerian students are
tired of sitting at home and both parties are urged to please shift ground to ensure
quick resolution of the crises.
2). We call for a NEEDS ASSESSMENT in our Polytechnics and Colleges of
Education as was done for the universities to ascertain their level of decay. This
may also stop unions in these institutions from embarking on their own strike.
3). That the President should not delay in filling the vacancy in the Ministry of
Education as there are still many urgent needs in the Ministry requiring
attention.
4). That in filling the vacancy, President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan should
take into consideration the choice of an individual from the education sector
who;
a). has exhibited the necessary competence and has clear understanding
of the challenges of the sector.
b). has capacity to command the respect of stakeholder unions in the
sector. This is important because education suffers when any of the unions
embarks on industrial action. We have lost almost 3years of study time in
the last 10years due to strikes; the lost time being enough to graduate a
student in Germany.
5). We commend the out gone Minister of Education Prof. Rukayattu Rufai for
doing her best while she served as Minister and wish her the best in her future
endeavours.
Thank you and God Bless.
