The National President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has decried the high level of insecurity in Nigeria, calling on all to work together to solve the problem.
The ASUU president expressed his concern in Bauchi on Thursday during a one-day State of the Nation Summit organized by ASUU, Bauchi Zone.
Osodoke, who lamented that things had got to a state where nobody seemed to be safe, said most of his colleagues were now afraid to travel by road.
He added that any country that abandoned education would be creating insecurity for itself as education is considered the bedrock of development of any society.
“Any country that abandons education is creating insecurity and that’s exactly where we are today.
“Many of our colleagues are now afraid to travel by road. Many people are even afraid to visit their children at schools while some are afraid to send their children to school.
“We have gotten to a stage that nobody is safe whether you are going by the road, by air, by sea, or by train. You are all aware that recently the bandits almost derailed a train.
“All of us need to work hard to change this trajectory,” he said.
The ASUU president revealed that the union was working round-the-clock to sponsor a bill entitled ‘Bring Back Your Children’ where Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), students’ unions, and academics would be mobilized to the National Assembly for its passage.
“Today, the leaders of this country and those who control our wealth have completely abandoned education.
“Today, this country is reaping the work of our abandoning education and what do they do as an alternative?
“They have created avenues for themselves in such a way that having abandoned and killed our education, they look for somewhere else where people invested in education to send their children, their wards, and relations.
“We are having one proposition we have put forward. We are going to storm the National Assembly with a bill.
“Their children must be in Nigerian schools whether primary, secondary, university or colleges of education. When the bill is out, we’ll mobilise students’ unions, the academics, and the NGOs,” he said.
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According to him, when the children of influential personalities are schooling in Nigeria, the education system will be in a better position and more attention will be paid to it.
The president commended the zonal coordinator of the union for organizing what he referred to as one of the best from the zone in a very long time.
The ASUU Bauchi Zone is made up of Plateau State University, Bokkos, University of Jos and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi.
Others are Bauchi State University, Gadau, Federal University, Kashere, and Gombe State University. (NAN)
