The Vice Chancellor, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Professor Abu Kasim Adamu has called for paradigm shift in the struggles of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)

The Vice Chancellor made the call in his opening remarks during the celebration of ASUU Day which took place in the Auditorium at the main campus, Lapai.

The ASUU Day which had the theme, “ASUU Struggles, the Fate of State Universities”, was hosted by the IBBUL Chapter of the Union.

Professor Adamu called on the ASUU National body to have a paradigm shift by engaging in negotiations, dialogues and plead with government to get what is due to their members, stressing that they otherwise remain in stagnation.

He noted that the zeal, passion and commitment of the Union make members feel a sense of belonging, translating to their welfare.

The Vice Chancellor said the celebration of ASUU Day came at a time when universities from the Federal, State and Private were struggling for survival, saying the topic of presentation would highlight some of the areas that will assist the managers of universities to know where they are now and where they are going to be and how they are going to be there.

Professor Adamu thanked ASUU for their doggedness, passion and relentless struggles to uplift and upgrade the educational system of the country which has yielded so many results.

He cited the TETfund, Needs Assessment and so many, that if not for the struggles of ASUU would not have been how they are today, urging ASUU to keep on with the struggles to see how they can impact on the infrastructural development of universities.

The Lead Paper Presenter, Professor Nasir Isah Fagge, a Professor of Nuclear Physics, with Bayero University, Kano in his presentation, mentioned some cardinal issues that are the basis of ASUU struggles, which include, inadequate funding, conditions of service and university autonomy, Academic freedom; to ensured that universities leave up to their mandate and also effectively compete at the international arena.

Professor Nasir Fagge explained that most Nigerian universities are not between the rank of first one thousand internationally, and in Africa, only few now are moving towards the one hundred within the African community.

He lamented that Nigeria as a giant of Africa does not have any reason for its Universities not to compete locally and internationally, saying that the 21st century is knowledge based economy.

He stressed that countries that are moving and making impact, like China, India, Brazil and even South Africa are countries that started working together with Nigeria in the 80’s, noting that many of those countries were borrowing ideas from Nigeria, which does not make Nigeria to have any reason being lagged behind.

Professor Fagge pointed out that such is the reason that in this year’s ASUU Day celebration, the issues of State Universities and their challenges was extensively discussed viz-a-viz the struggles of ASUU and what needed to be done to ensure that state universities play their roles in terms of developing the human capital that will require to develop Nigeria.

He expressed displeasure over how some Visitors to State Universities claim that ASUU members are only embarking on sympathy strike whenever the Federal Universities are on strike, maintaining that it is those ASUU strike in the past that produced TETfund, Needs Assessment intervention used to address infrastructure deficit created by them.

In his remarks the National President of ASUU, Professor Victor Emmanuel Osodeke said State Universities play vital roles in nation building and therefore ASUU members at the Federal Universities and those of States are all the same.

He discredited the news of him being misinterpreted for saying State Universities are quacks, maintaining that he was referring to Kaduna and Kwara States Universities when during the recent strike, the Vice Chancellors worked with the Visitors to ensure that exams took place.

He wondered how a lecture by a professor would have an examination questions set by a Youth Corps member, hence his reference as quacks, not all State Universities.

Professor Osodeke commended the Management of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai for taking care of the welfare of its staff seriously, saying the University is among the first three that are not owing its staff salaries and arrears, which is commendable.

In their separate remarks the immediate pass President of ASUU Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, the Provost College of Education, Minna, Professor Muhammad Yakubu Auna and the immediate past IBB University Acting Council Chairman, Professor Mohammed Bashir Nuhu, commended Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai for hosting the ASUU Day celebration, saying it is a celebration of victory, glory and achievement, gotten from ASUU’s struggles and also to fine tune on way out on some of its challenges, particularly faced by State Universities.

They also commended the Management of IBBU, Lapai for giving the welfare of its staff priority.

In his vote of thanks, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Abuja, Professor Lawal Salawu, appreciated the Management of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai for providing enabling grounds for ASUU members and also for supporting them to host the ASUU Day.

Highlights of the event was solidarity songs, presentations of survenirs to ASUU National EXCO members and awards to the heroes of the branch