Organisation Protests Poor State Of Education

Hundreds of protesters, under the aegis of Joint Action Front (JAF), have staged a peaceful protest in some parts of Lagos over the state of public education in Nigeria.

The protesters marched from the Nigeria Labour Congress House, Yaba to Ojuelegba, Jibowu, Fadeyi, Palmgroove on Ikorodu Road and terminated at Maryland.

The JAF comprises the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and civil society groups, mobilized from Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, Osun and Ogun states to join those in Lagos.

The protesters displayed placards with inscriptions such as “Provide jobs, not misery’’, ‘‘FG/state governments should implement ASUU agreement’’ and “Save public education’’.

The others include “Free and quality education is possible’’ and “Increase education budget to 26 per cent”.

The Secretary of JAF, Mr Abiodun Aremu, said that the protest was in line with the position of ASUU that the nation’s education sector was being poorly funded.

He said “We are insisting that government must fund education in line with the international standards of 26 per cent national budgetary allocation,’’ stressing that education should be free at all levels.

The ASUP National President, Comrade Chibuzor Asomugba, said that the state of the nation’s public education was worrisome. stressing that there was the need for the federal and state governments to prioritise education.

“We are maintaining that governments must pay attention to public education, revive it and make it affordable to all.

“I enjoyed free education during my time; it should not be different now,” he said.

Dr Segun Ajiboye, ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan Chapter, said that Nigeria’s education sector had not received the attention it deserved, stressing that the protest was to show that Nigerians were dissatisfied with the condition of the sector.

“We call for free and quality education at all levels. Children of the poor must have access to education,” he said.

The JAF Deputy Chairman, Mr Achike Chude, said that the protest was to demand free education at all levels, stressing that stakeholders in education will never agree to commercialisation of public education; education is for all.

The Coordinator of NANS during the protest, ?Mr Monsuru Adeyemo, also urged adequate funding of education.

“If education is properly funded, many of the nation’s problems would have been solved,” he said.