NBA faults FG’s threat to sack lecturers

The Nigerian Bar Association on Monday faulted the Federal Government’s threat to sack striking university lecturers.

The Federal Government, through the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, had threatened to sack members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities who refused to return to work on or before Wednesday.

However, the NBA said the Federal Government’s threat was baseless.

The Chairman of the Abuja Branch of the NBA, U. M. Yaman, reacted to the development in an address at the opening session of the association’s Law Week in Abuja.

Yaman  likened the attitude of the Federal Government to that of a dictatorship during the era of military rule, when striking university lecturers were usually threatened with sacking.

He stressed that the lecturers had a right to go on strike.

He said, “This is not the first time we have heard threats from the government, during the military era government severally threatened to sack lecturers if they don’t call off strike.

“But we need to be realistic, lecturers have a right to go on strike and government has the right to employ those who they want.

“But the university sector is a peculiar one so we need experienced lecturers.

“How do you replace the hundreds of professors of the universities? About five universities in this country have a hundred professors.

“So how do you replace them?”

Yaman equally urged ASUU to call off the strike in the interest of students and the nation.

He said, “Also we want to appeal to ASUU that you cannot continue strike indefinitely; there must be an end to strike.

“If somebody has made an offer and which the public is beginning to see that government has shown genuine interest to end the strike, I think ASUU ought to meet and reconsider their position in the interest of students and the nation.”