From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government, yesterday, said contrary to the news making the rounds, the issues surrounding the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other three university-based unions were not as simple as they would want Nigerians to believe.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said this while briefing State House Correspondents at the end of a virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
ASUU has been on strike since February 14, over unresolved issues with the Federal Government with all the public universities shut down till date.
Besides ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Union of Universities and Associated Institutions (NASU) as well as the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) have also withdrawn their services over the alleged government insensitivity to their demands.
The minister while responding to a question on why the council approved the establishment of e-learning centres for primary school but was unable to resolve problems with unions in the public universities, said the issue with the unions was not as simple as many may think.
According to him, the government was also worried over the prolong closure of the public universities and was making frantic efforts to ensure all the contentious issues are resolved.
Mohammed, who briefed on behalf of the minister of education, said: “Other question that has to do with ASUU strike. I think if I remember is this e-learning, I think it has to do more with primary schools and not universities.
“I don’t think because we’re having challenges with the university lectures, we should stop primary school students in continuing with their education.
“And I wish that the ASUU issue is as simple as many of us think it is. I don’t think it’s that simple. But I want to assure you a lot is going on behind the scene.
“Probably the minister of education will be better positioned to give the details. But like any government, if we’re not concerned, we would not set up all the committees which have been working. If we are not concerned, we will not be looking for means to even assuage the feelings of the union.
“We’re worried, we’re concerned, and we’ll continue to work towards finding an early resolution of the problem.”
Mohammed said the council approved the establishment of e-learning centres for primary schools across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
“The education minister has sought approval from council for the award of contracts for the provision of a satellite-based education system for 109 e-learning centres across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.
“The contract was for the sum of N964 million and is in favour of Messrs Nas Navigation. The purpose of the memo is to provide each senatorial district in the country with e-learning provision, each state has three senatorial districts and the FCT has one senatorial district
“The scope of the project is the provision of satellite-based education system for about 4,360 users in the 109 senatorial districts and it was through the installation of 109 receiver satellite unit model antenna in three schools in each state.
“Installation and provision of 109 vast mile server in three schools in each state connecting up to 100 device installation of 109 server units for receiver terminals and deployment of 4,360 Android tablets.”