Vice chancellors of Nigerian universities have said that public universities might not absorb the consequences of another prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) if the outstanding issues are not quickly resolved.
The vice chancellors made this disclosure in a resolution of the 80th meeting of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) held in Abuja.
In a statement signed by the secretary-general of the CVCNU, Prof Yakubu A. Ochefu at the end of the meeting, urged the federal government to be proactive and dialogue with the leadership of the ASUU.
“Members expressed regret that the country’s public universities are witnessing another strike action resulting from a trade dispute with the unions. It expressed the need for the federal government to be proactive and dialogue with the leadership of the union to ensure an amicable resolution of the crisis. At the heart of the dispute is the public universities’ funding, which members noted is grossly inadequate,” he said.
They also decried illegal admissions into the universities and settled for an urgent meeting with the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in curbing the menace.
They also plan to meet the leadership of the National Assembly to find a better process of engagement, and expressed reservations over the way vice chancellors are summoned by various committees of the National Assembly.
