The federal government yesterday disclosed that the on-going strike action embarked upon by both academic and non-academic staff unions of the nation’s public universities were being addressed by relevant government ministries and agencies.
This was just as the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the establishment of 12 additional private universities on different parts of the country.
Speaking with newsmen at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said relevant government ministries and agencies were interfacing with the striking unions like the Academic Staff Union of Univerdities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) to ensure that the strike action was called off.
Asked if the issue of the university workers’ strike was discussed at FEC meeting, the minister said: “You asked me, was the issue of ASUU discussed in council? We have ministers and departments who are full time every day dealing with the issues of ASUU and labor unrest.
“It is not every matter that you discuss in Council, no. But I can tell you no government will just sleep and pretend that ASUU is not on strike, but there is engagement is going on.”
Mohammed also announced that government granted approval for the establishment of 12 new private universities.
According to him, the new universities would be mentored by federal universities close to their locations to provide recruitment of principal officers, academic, and administrative staff, availability of human and material resources for the commencement of any academic programme among others.
He further explained that the country does not have enough universities to accommodate its teeming youth population desirous of university education.
The minister said the approval for the new universities was given by the council following a memorandum presented by the Ministry of Education on behalf of the National University Commission (NUC).
He listed the proposed private universities to include PEN Resource University, Gombe, Gombe State to be mentored by Modibbo Adamawa University of Technology, Yola; Al-Ansar University, Maiduguri, Borno State to be mentored by University of Maiduguri; Margaret Lawrence University, Calilee, Delta State, to be mentored by Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State; Khalifa Isiyaku Rabiu University, Kano, Kano State to be mentored by Bayero University Kano, Kano State.
Others are Sports University, Idumuje, Ugboko, Delta State to be mentored by University of Benin, Edo State; Baba Ahmed University, Kano, Kano State, to be mentored by Bayero University Kano; SAISA University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Sokoto, to be mentored by Usmanu Danfodio Sokoto; and Nigerian British University, Asa, Abia State to be mentored by University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Also given approval were the Peter University, Achina-Onneh, Anambra State to be mentored by Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; Newgate University, Minna, Niger State to be mentored by Federal University Minna, Niger State; European University of Nigerian, Duboyi, Abuja, FCT, to be mentored by University of Abuja, FCT and Northwest University, Sokoto, Sokoto State to be mentored by Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto.
“The mentors will be expected to oversee the following activities of the new universities which include: Recruitment of principal officers, academic, and administrative staff, availability of human and material resources for the commencement of any academic programme. implementation of carrying capacity, assistance in staff development, moderation of students’ examination and the results, general quality assurance activities, moderation of admission and external examination moderation.”
He further said: “Can we say because ASUU is on strike, therefore we will not have new universities when we know that today 65 per cent of eligible students in the universities are just roaming the streets when we know that today, there are about 5,000 Nigerian students in Ukraine alone.
“And I think the total number of Nigerian students outside there is about 165, 000. We have a population of about 200 million people and we have just about 200 universities while countries like Indonesia have about 1,200 universities. We cannot fold our hands because ASUU is on strike so will not expand our educational facilities”.