The immediate past President of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Dr. Fatima Abdulrahman, has called on the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to consider the plight of students and shelve its industrial action.

In a press release issued in Abuja, Dr. Abdulrahman said that it is obvious that times are hard owing to the general economic down turn in the country.

“To send students home in the name of strike will not only worsen the harsh social and economic conditions of Nigerian students, but will also expose them to all forms of anti-social practices, including crimes and other deviant behaviours.

“I therefore plead with ASUU to call off the industrial action while it sits in further dialogue with the Federal Government,” Abdulrahman said.

Continuing, she said: “Governments at state and federal level should devote a sizeable percentage of the education budget to fund research in the universities and colleges.

“Lecturers in institutions of higher learning should partake in periodic open fora, during which students could freely comment on their conduct, with a view to isolating the bad eggs that promote and perpetrate anti-social practices, including sexual harassment, sorting and absenteeism; the necessity of decentralising the National University Commission, (NUC) so that institutions could be free to pursue excellence in line with International Standards and Global best practices.”

•Photo shows Ex-ANCOPSS President Fatima Abdulrahman.

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