By Vincent Ujumadu
AWKA—THE International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) has suggested that the quickest way to end the lingering strike by members of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in state-owned universities in the South East was for governments to increase the subventions of their institutions.

Consequently, the group warned that allowing the students to continue to remain at home was already creating problems.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi,  Intersociety also warned the striking lecturers to shift ground, considering the lean resources of the affected states.

We urge the SouthEast Governors’ Forum to, as a matter of uttermost immediacy, review upwards their capital and recurrent allocations to these universities in addition to same in the area of human resources.

“Facilities in these universities as well as investments in their human resources should be made to compete with international standards. The students of these universities must not be exploited in the guise of paying approved wage scales.

Learning environments adorned with efficient ICT facilities, well-equipped laboratories and libraries, modern hostel accommodations and classrooms under good sanitary conditions  and good access roads shall be provided for them.

“We recommend that the core funding of these universities shall be drawn from four major sources, namely; state governments, local governments, the internally generated revenues of the five state universities, and other sources other than borrowings.

It is both the moral and constitutional duty of the trio of the South East Governors’ Forum, the five Houses of Assemblies and the Governing Councils of the five universities to ensure that this strike ends and students returned to classrooms without delay. This is in line with Vicarious Liability Doctrine.”

“ASUU leadership, on its part, must shift grounds in the ongoing face-off with their proprietors and weed its camp of extortionist lecturers who plagiarize and bind, in the guise of “course materials” and sale same to fresh students as much as #6000.00 each.

“There are also some, if not, many, who force the 100-Level students to buy 300-Level “test books” and submit their assignments with  the cash payment of #500.00 for each assignment.

The departmental course reps are usually recruited to coordinate these illegalities, and the Anambra State University, Igbariam Campus, appears to be the hardest hit.

“ The ASUU leadership must also not allow themselves to be used by desperate politicians to politicize and elongate the strike action so as to achieve their warped political goals.

It is our candid advice to the ASUU leadership to emulate the national leaderships of the NBA and the NLC, which meet periodically to review the state of the nation so as to proffer solutions to numerous burning national and even local issues.

It is not only when issues affecting poor wage scales that the voice of the ASUU leadership could be heard.”