The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has applauded the initiative of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration, contradicting the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) position on the recently signed students’ loan.
In a statement, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, president of the union that split from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), said: “We are not advocating throwing out the baby with the bathwater. We are idealists who hope that the loan will increase funding for the system, give the underprivileged access to higher education, and help to stabilize the academic calendar.
Being a new program, Sunmonu noted that there will be some murky legal issues that need to be clarified in the students’ favor.
He also stated that CONUA is prepared to work with the government to make the students’ loan program a success.
“As a Union, we are aware of the administration’s agenda of ‘Renewed Hope,’ and we accept their decision to take the extremely difficult steps necessary to engineer major politico-economic changes. We also value your commitment to taking the necessary steps to lessen the uncomfortable side effects of the unavoidable difficult decisions.
CONUA sincerely hopes that the administration will offer the bold direction necessary for the steady and forward-thinking development of the whole country.
“Therefore, we pledge that we are ready to work with this administration by developing and making available ideas and suggestions that will lift our educational system in particular from its current state to a pedestal that we can all be proud of.
Together, we will work to restore faith in Nigeria and establish the right circumstances for the noble aspirations of the populace to be realized.
