PENGASSAN worried about incessant varsities strikes

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association, on Monday, decried the incessant strikes by government universities. A statement by Babatunde Ogun and Bayo Olowoshile, the association’s president and general secretary respectively, both warned that strikes posed a threat to manpower development in the country. The statement released on Monday, stated that “the current situation of our universities poses a serious threat to manpower development and job security.

“The national calamity and embarrassment of seeing Nigerian graduates losing appeal and competitiveness leaves so much to be desired, and we need to put an end to it now.” The statement alleged that multinationals now reject Nigerian graduates on the excuse that they were unemployable, preferring to employ expatriates. It also berated the government for its delay in responding to the protracted demands by the Academic staff union of universities, which had affected the quality and standard of learning in higher institutions.

However, the statement commended the union for its resolve to restore dignity and honour to the universities, and urged the government to address the demands of the aggrieved workers for a lasting solution to the problem.