ASUU Strike is an Injury to Nigeria’s Youth, Says Prof. Imumolen

Bennett Oghifo

Vice Chancellor of Global Wealth University, Togo,

Professor Christopher Imumolen has advised against the planned strike by the  Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, because of the adverse effect it would have on them.

Prof. Imumolen made the appeal at a press conference held recently at the Ikeja office of the Joint Professionals Training and Support Int’l on the state of the nation.

Imumolen described the strike as an “avoidable tragedy resulting from systemic failure and an injury consciously inflicted on the future of youths.”

He also frowned at the spate of insecurity and hardship in Nigeria, saying “it is unfortunate that the federal government until now has not been able to resolve its problem with ASUU since 2009, a situation which has once again stalled the educational progress of the Nigerian youths.

“It is sad that the FG has failed to find a panacea to their face off with ASUU until it has once again infringed on the education of the youths.”

He said, “Education is one vital sector as essential as health and feeding, a reason why if it is neglected for a moment, the future of young Nigerians will be tampered with,” adding, “policies that would make it mandatory for public officers to enrol their children in Nigerian schools so that they will be committed to building or enhancing the sector instead of treating it with levity is also of essence.”

On insecurity and rising crime, he said there was need for a system that would “drastically reduce hardship which results from inflation, hardship naturally spurs citizens to commit crime.

“One of the contributing factors to crime and insecurity is lack of patriotism, because citizens are not happy about the insincerity of the political class and the poor reward system for patriotic and positively productive Nigerians.

“The pension scheme is also poor and unstable in Nigeria, and it affects the way people view their country.

“Americans are proud of America because their nation encourages merit and creates conducive atmospheres for wellbeing and welfare of citizens.

“Unfortunately, the case in Nigeria is that citizens do not love and speak well of the country.The rate of migration or diffusion to other nations where they can find better conditions is alarming, in fact the way it is going, if great nations open their borders to Nigerians, this country will become empty.”

The present fuel scarcity, he said, “Is unfortunate and annoying, if Nigeria is a working system, it will be impossible for an adulterated supply to circulate.”

On youth development, he said naturally gifted ones “have been frustrated to the point that they have accepted crime as the only rescue terrain,” adding “a thorough leadership revolution that will enthrone sincere and patriotic people is essential at this very crucial time.

“With a sincere leader who will enhance and revitalise the Nigerian space by creating enabling situations and engaging the youths with basic needs and infrastructure, criminality and acts of internal terrorism  will give way to peace, security and economic stability.

“Strategies which will combat widespread criminality are already on our blueprint, but I won’ t disclose them due to the sensitivity surrounding the issue.

“When the system is corrected, Nigerians will conform to order and law.

“No one can argue these points because when Nigerians travel to countries with good leadership and working system, they abide by rules,  knowing that the arm of effective laws will grip them if they misbehave.”

He urged Nigerians to vote in good leaders without following party lines, stating that this would enthrone “the right  individuals with integrity, zeal, know how, patriotism and the heart to sacrifice for the good of all citizens.”