The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, on Wednesday raised the alarm that the recurring bandits’ attacks and fear of abductions have turned universities to zones of anxiety.
It also warned that the tragedy of the Chibok girls must never be relegated to the past as if it were a closed chapter.
President of NASU, Makolo Hassan, stated this in Abuja while addressing delegates of the union at the opening session of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
Speaking during the meeting, Hassan said the government should be accountable at all levels to ensure it protects students, teachers and the future of education in the country.
According to him, insecurity, from kidnappings, banditry to terrorism, threatens Nigerians including workers’ lives and livelihoods as well as every other person resident in the country.
He added, ‘It is unacceptable that, while public schools crumble, the political elite and their collaborators send their children to expensive private institutions or even abroad for their education.
‘We reject this two-tier system that privileges the few and abandons the many. Quality education must be a public good, not a privilege for the wealthy.
‘Equally, we can no longer treat the security of our educational institutions as an afterthought.
‘The recurring bandit attacks and the lingering fear of abductions have turned our schools into zones of anxiety rather than learning.
‘The tragedy of the Chibok girls must never be relegated to the past as if it were a closed chapter. It remains a painful reminder of the urgent need for government accountability and decisive action to protect our children, our teachers, and our future.’
The labour leader further explained that addressing insecurity in the country requires a comprehensive multi-dimensional approach, including but not limited to strengthening security and intelligence gathering, modern technology deployment, governance and political will, eliminating corruption in security spending, promoting justice and rule of law and addressing youth unemployment.
He also warned that Nigerian workers can no longer survive on their current wages, noting inflation, poor governance, and stagnated pay have eroded the dignity of labour.
On his part, NASU’s General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, condemned the persistent threat by government officials to invoke the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy, describing it as an attempt to intimidate and silence legitimate trade union actions.
Adeyemi stressed that strikes are never spontaneous decisions but last-resort measures triggered by government failures to honour agreements freely entered into with unions.