BY: News Peddlers
The National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria has requested a meeting with the Federal Government in response to the Academic Staff Union of Universities' ongoing strike.
The association is also proposing that each parent pay N10,000 per session to assist the government in making more funds available to universities.
Dr. Ademola Ekundayo, NAPTAN's Public Relations Officer, revealed this during an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday.
Ekundayo, who bemoaned the country's continued university closures, claimed that parents were on the receiving end of the dispute between the Federal Government and ASUU.
"We have submitted a letter to the Office of the Education Minister, seeking an audience to discuss a proposal," he said.
"We propose a sum of N10,000 per parent per session, which will be paid directly to the universities." Apart from other statutory payments, this will be our contribution to making more funds available to universities.
"It could be called a university parent support levy." We are experiencing the effects of the strike. We implore the ASUU and the Federal Government to resolve their differences as soon as possible."
Opeyemi Falegan, philanthropist and founder of the Opeyemi David Falegan Foundation, has urged former presidents and military rulers to intervene in the ongoing ASUU strike.
He also urged the Federal Government and the strikers to consider making the necessary concessions to end the strike.
The Social Democratic Party chieftain based in the United Kingdom issued the warning in a statement made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday titled, "Strike: Nigerian tertiary education system on the verge of total collapse if ASUU strike continues, Falegan warns."
"If the Federal Government and ASUU continue to flex their muscles, the continued industrial action by ASUU may result in the total collapse of tertiary education in Nigeria. They should put down their swords for the sake of helpless Nigerian students and their parents," Falegan said.
He urged former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, as well as past military leaders such as Yakubu Gowon and Abdusalam Abubakar, to intervene in order to persuade the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd. ), to reopen the universities.
"We appeal to well-meaning Nigerians, particularly former Heads of State and Presidents, to persuade current Nigerian leaders to accept ASUU's demands and allow lecturers and students to return to the classrooms," he said.
The strike continues
The Federal University, Dutsin-Ma branch of ASUU has called for a nationwide total and indefinite strike if the Federal Government continues to ignore the demands of its national headquarters.
SOURCE: PUNCH