Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Marcus Onobun on Monday said the ongoing strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has short changed the Nigerian child.
ASUU has being on strike since February 14, 2022 over alleged failure of the federal government to implement the renegotiated 2009 agreement, request to deploy University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) to replace existing Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) enrolment and other issues of concern.
Speaker Onobun was represented by George Aitumun, Director, office of the speaker at the 2022 Democracy Day Essay Competition tagged: “Democracy and the Nigerian Child” in Benin City.
According to Obobun, “the Nigerian child has been short changed since independence in 1960,” a consequence that has made the situation palpable for Nigerians.
He said Our Children have been at home now for months. The Academic calendar has been disorganized and it will never remain the same”.
He however called on the stakeholders including ASUU and the government to agree to resolve the issue at stake in order for the students to return to school and continue their academic work.
In her goodwill message, the Manager of the Nigerian Observation, Odun Balogun said, “The purpose is to create further awareness for Children in Nigeria to know the purpose of democracy.
“It is a known fact that ASUU is on strike and if we were to really follow democracy, one would have expected that things would have been put in order”, she said.
Prizes were awarded to both primary and Secondary schools students across the State who either won the Essay Debate Competition or participated in the contest.
Nosakhare Model Education Centre won the Essay debate World of Faith Group of schools titled, “Democracy has helped in building Education gap between private and Public schools in Nigeria at the Secondary school category while Primary schools and teachers who participated at the primary category, were also rewarded.
Responding, Master Aiwekhoe Osayuki, Secondary student of Edo College in Benin City, said,”We gave a special song. The Country cannot move forward without God.
“This kind of programme will help to enlighten us as students to know much about the history and the background of our Country” he said.
