Chairman of the Senate committee on Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND) Senator Jibrin Barau (Kano North) has reassured Nigerians that the Senate is working hard to avert an impending strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
In a chat with journalists in Abuja, Barau said as a proactive senate that is always responsive to the plights of Nigerians, efforts are being made to ensure dialogue between the federal government and the university lecturers who had earlier warned that they may soon embark on an indefinite strike if moves were not made to pay their salaries and allowances.
Responding to the threat, Senator Barau said any action taken by ASUU will negate the interest of Nigerian students who are the future of the country. He said: “as a responsive Senate, we are looking into the issue, rest assured that we are really working hard to address the matter.”
“We will always be proactive in dealing with matters like this especially in the education sector which affects our youths.”
Also on the plights of some universities not being able to access funds from TETFUND, the senator said the matter was also being looked into by the new Executive Secretary of the fund.
“Let’s not put the cart before the horse. As you know, a new Executive Secretary has been appointed in TETFUND and as a very hard working gentleman, I am sure he is studying the situation in Nigeria Universities and will soon come up with a solution and Senate is working with him to put things in place,” he said.
Barau noted however, that although the economy is not at its best, everything is being done by the Federal government to have a robust economy where things will be made easier for Nigerians, adding that it is not unmindful of the fact that there is a need to create an environment that will put the education sector in proper shape and reposition it to an enviable height where the nation’s universities can be ranked among the world best.
“But we need enough political will to revolutionize the education system,” Barau maintained.
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