The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Sunday says Nigeria needs true national followers and leaders who can deliver good governance and pursue ultimate happiness of the generality of Nigerians.
ASUU chairman, University of Ibadan Professor Ayoola Akinwole stated this on Sunday on the state of nation and 62nd national independence celebration.
According to him, Nigeria has been piloted by internal colonisers who promote domination of their people.
“If government is to make life bearable for the governed, the very many of people who witnessed colonial rule regret the current state of Nigeria. The way and manner in which the ruling class have piloted the affairs of the country since 1960 is nothing but internal colonialism and domination.”
The ASUU chairman maintained that there is nothing to roll out the drums over in Nigeria saying it is a shame for successive government to be unable to solve electricity problem and make education in Nigeria the driver of her development.
“A cross-section of Nigerians will, no doubt, agree that there are no grounds for celebrations and fanfare, due to the deplorable state of affairs in the country.”
ASUU boss who asked Nigeria to reject subjugation said that “the treatment meted out to Nigerians, most especially the intelligentsia, by the Government and ruling class, most especially in the current administration of Major General Muhammadu Buhari is worse off. It also reflects the oppressive tendencies of some university administration on Workers’ Unions.
“The payment of 30, 000 is worse than slavery. The non-payment of salaries for over seven months is inhuman treatment, aimed at depriving them of their humanity and turning them into modern slaves. The Nigerian ruling class represents the worst form of evil of internal colonialism unknown anywhere in the modern world. They mobilise the resources of the country and cart same away to foreignand, leaving their country and citizens in penury and deprivation.
“Nowhere is the decadence of an independent Nigeria is more abysmal than in the education system.”
Akinwole then applauded the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) for their social consciousness demonstrated “in this trying period, defying authorities whose own children have been ferried abroad to study in universities, their fees paid with money obtained from our common treasury.”
