Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and the University of Ibadan Alumni Association have lamented the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Okowa, who described ASUU strikes as an albatross on every successive government’s neck, called for incisive introspection into the causes and possible solutions.
The governor made the remark at the 28th edition of University of Ibadan Alumni Association, Asaba Chapter Annual Lecture in Asaba.
He said, “Any university aspiring to the status of being world-class must cultivate a robust relationship with its alumni.
“The lingering ASUU strike has almost become an albatross on every successive government’s neck and therefore calls for incisive introspection into the causes and possible solutions.”
Okowa said the choice of this year’s lecture title, ‘Revitalising University Education’, was apt especially at this critical time that education was suffering a setback.
In his goodwill message, the National President, UIAA Worldwide, Prof Olufunke Adewoye, commended the Asaba chapter for contributing greatly to the global body.
On her part, the Chairman, UIAA, Dr Felicia Adun, said the annual lecture series was an initiative dedicated to building an association committed to best practices and robust articulation of ideas to move the state and country to greater and enviable heights.
She said the lecture series had spanned over three decades and had been delivered by very eminent Nigerians.
The guest lecturer and Vice-Chancellor, Admiralty University of Nigeria, Prof Paul Omaji, stated that the failure of the political leadership had plunged university education in Nigeria into several challenges, including funding crisis.
He lamented the incessant strike in the country’s educational sector and called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to sign the Nigeria education blueprint before leaving office.
