By Victor Ahiuma-Young & Chris Ochayi

LAGOS- NIGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, has expressed grave concern over the impasse in the talks between Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the Federal Government over the 2009 agreement on the funding of universities and revitalising infrastructural deficits in the educational system among others.

It said it is an open invitation to chaos as the ongoing nationwide strike by ASUU enters second week.

Meanwhile, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to honour the 2009 agreement it entered with ASUU.

NLC said information reaching it indicated that it was apparent that the Federal Government is not serious in granting a listening ear to the cry of Nigerians, being cham-pioned by ASUU, to commence tackling decisively the deteriorating standard of education in the country.

A statement by Chris Uyot, Head, Information & Public Relations, NLC said: “Some of the contending issues, in the recent strike by ASUU, are the sustained massive funding of education, including allocation of a minimum of 26 per cent of the annual budget of government to education, condition of service, university autonomy and academic freedom.

“We recall that since 2001, there had been an agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government on these issues, with review expected every three years. Rather than keep to this appointed date in 2004, government had foot-dragged, and only acceded in 2007 to commence re-negotiations after several strikes by the union.

“Even then, it was not until 2009 that the Federal Government found it expedient to conclude negotiations and sign an agreement.

“Nigerians are aware of the abysmal fall in the standard of education in the country and the implications for the national economy in a highly competitive and knowledge-driven world.

“While in the last decade federal budgetary allocation to education was an average of 8 per cent, that of some African countries, which are less endowed, was about 30 per cent, consistently in the last few decades.

“The result of this neglect in funding education is that the best university in the country is not among the first 6,000 in the world.”

Similarly, CNPP said: “From all indications, the government of President Jonathan is not ashamed that no Nigerian university is listed among the best 100 universities in the world and is not aware of the decline in the enrollment of our students in science and technology courses.

“Accordingly, we are at a loss as to how Nigeria will be enlisted among the 20 strong economies by the year 2020.”

if the Federal and state governments choose to squander our riches instead of investing heavily in human capital development which is ASUU’s demand.”

“President Jonathan cannot talk of transformation when our universities are churning out half-baked graduates who cannot compete in the modern world. He must honour the agreement with ASUU.”