The Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of
Abuja chapter, Dr Kasim Umaru, has said the union has no regret for
disrupting anti-corruption event in the institution.
The New
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the union led by Umaru prevented
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu
Gowon (rtd), and former Education Minister, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili from
speaking at the event.
The ASUU Chairman told NAN in a telephone
interview yesterday that the union disrupted the programme because of
the ongoing strike.
He said such magnitude of programme could not hold in the institution because lecturers were also involved in the event.
“Those
eminent personalities for the programme are all aware of our plight and
did nothing; we disrupted the event because we are on strike,” he said.
The
convener of the event and National Coordinator of African Initiative
Against Corruption and Exam Malpractice AFICEM, Dr Francis Abioye,
regretted the action of the ASUU, saying they erred by disrupting the
event.
Abioye said the management of the university had earlier
approved the institution’s auditorium as venue for the anti- corruption
programme.
He said the programme was not an academic event, but
was organised to educate Nigerians, especially students against
corruption and related cases.
Abioye, who is also the General
Manager, Zoology Garden in Owerri, Imo State, urged the federal
government to fund education, saying that Nigeria could not progress
without a stable educational system.
In his remarks, the
university Student Union Government (SUG), President, Mr. Chizurum
Anabaronye, said the development was regrettable and disappointing.
“It
is unfortunate because students would have benefited immensely in the
programme considering the personalities involved in the programme.
“Wole
Soyinka is a person every student wants to see and the only opportunity
to hear him speak was disrupted; we mobilised the students for the
event but later communicated to them on the development,” he said.
One
of the facilitators and Osun High Court Judge, Justice Oloyode
Folahanmi, who also spoke to NAN, said AFICEM planned to celebrate the
2018 anti-corruption day with a lecture on the `Benefits of Examination
Ethics,’ which was disrupted.
“The Noble Laureate Prof. Wole
Soyinka, other eminent persons and myself were to speak to Nigerian
students on the need to abide by the rules guiding examination ethics.
“We
are partners in progress; we feel the plight of ASUU and we want to fix
Nigerian problem; so, it was wrong to disrupt the programme.
While
calling on federal government to address the demands of ASUU, Folahanmi
said the reason for targeting students was because of the belief that
quest for societal regeneration must begin with the youths.
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