ICSAN flays FG over prolonged ASUU strike

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) has flayed the Federal Government over the prolonged Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.

The institute, which described the situation as a big challenge to the Nigerian education sector, said it showed that the country lacked the capacity to handle an ivory tower.

Speaking on the association’s media parley recently, President and Chairman of Council, ICSAN, Gbenga Owokalade, lamented that the Federal Government was not being proactive in meeting the demands of the academic union in forestalling the ongoing industrial action.

According to him, every country that recognises the value of human capital development invests appropriately in education.

Olowokalade, who said the institute would not keep quiet nor be diplomatic in making statements and watch the education sector derail, urged that the government should be sincere in addressing the nation’s education challenges.

“As an institute, the government must sincerely make its position known and stand by it to put an end to the back and forth which had elongated the academic tenure of many Nigerians.

“The government must be able to define what is fundable within the academic environment and stand by it, thereby addressing this issue once and for all.

“The government must be proactive, responsive and responsible to its citizens, in particular, the area of human capital development. Instead of building the access and capacity of existing universities, you are creating more universities. You are creating universities within the same pool of staffing that has been in existence for over 10 years because there has not been serious capacity building,” he said.

Among other issues, Olowokalade, who spoke on the impact of the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war, said the war is already being felt by global economies, Nigeria inclusive, with soaring prices of confectionery, gas and a host of others.