Renowned professor at the Lagos State University (LASU) and former Dean, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Professor Lai Olorode has charged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to take their fight to a logical conclusion,
Speaking during a media briefing during the week in Lagos, Prof. Olorode remarked government’s insensitivity to the dwindling fortunes of education in Nigeria has rendered “the talk about re-branding a complete trash”.

The Professor stated that because the education sector in the country lacks a zero percent well -being, the university system especially, are completely sick and depressed.

His words: “In all the courses in all our universities, we are grossly understaffed. Here, we do not have the lecturer-student ratio. I hope that ASUU is prepared for a very long fight because even if the issue of ASUU is resolved tomorrow or in the next one week, I’m not seeing this government being eager to get students back to the classrooms.

“My submission is that they are trying to keep the student s from campuses till 2011 because of their plan to rig the election come 2011. And one other reason they may not return the students to campuses is that they have made up their minds that they are going to impose school fees on the universities. They are trying to divide and rule at the same time. This is the reason they are t asking each of the universities to negotiate with its staff”. he said.

Prof. Orolode noted that for some reasons, the Yar’Adua government lacks the political will to implement the terms of collective bargaining adding that unless it has the political machinery to implement policies, it cannot be heard. He therefore appealed, to ASUU leadership to consider the sponsorship of some retired professors to contest for the Senate.

Speaking through its National Chairman, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, ASUU pointed accusing fingers at those it described as forces in government who are bent on frustrating the emergence of a centrally signed agreement with ASUU. Chief among the list was Education Minister, Dr. Sam Egwu.
Others who also came under the hammer of the striking lecturers include the Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Julius Okojie,