Press
statement
The
Benue State University (BSU) chapter of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC)
calls on the Governor Samuel Ortom-led government of Benue State to immediately
meet the demands of striking members of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) so that students can resume academic activities.
The
students of Benue State University have been at home for over two months as a
result of the unmet demands of BSU ASUU who have consequently embarked on
strike. This is unacceptable.
We
condemn the anti-poor government of Samuel Ortom and his All Progressive
Congress (APC)-led government for refusing to meet the demands of ASUU. These
demands range from unpaid Earned
Academic Allowance (EAA), absence of an Insurance Policy for members, Pension Scheme,
Appointment of Principal Officers in the University by the government and
delayed payment of staff salaries, payment of death benefits to its members.
The
lecturers of Benue State University are made not to be entitled to pension
scheme by the state government. This means that after years of meritorious
service, they will have nothing to survive on with their families. The
lamentable side of the whole issue is the fact that lecturers are charged so
much tax that they can barely afford decent living standards. The lecturers in
BSU are charged about 34℅ tax and yet they are not being paid allowances. While
the politicians collect fat salaries and allowances for doing nothing, the
lecturers are deprived their earned allowances.
ERC
is demanding that the Governor Samuel Ortom-led APC should meet the demands of
ASUU and allow the undergraduates return back to the classroom. We call on
students and the striking lecturers to begin to organize joint actions like mass
protests and demonstrations to pile pressure on the state government to resolve
the impasse.
We
also demand free, quality and democratically-managed public education in Benue
State. Benue is one of the most backward states when it comes to education. The
state primary and secondary schools are in a total mess due to poor funding.
The irresponsibility of the government towards education, health, public
infrastructures and payment of workers’ salary is on the verge of collapsing
the State.
The
ERC is also demanding a reversal of the exorbitant school fees that
undergraduates are paying, knowing fully well that Benue state is dominated by
poor peasant farmers who mainly do their farming with crude farming tools. We
urge the government to urgently reverse the astronomical fees in order to curb
the growing rate of drop out in the institution as a result of the difficulty
faced by poor working class and peasant parents to pay the fees.
Oko Owi Ocho
Protem Coordinator
ERC, BSU
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