The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the federal government to find a lasting solution to rebuild the nation’s refinaries in the efforts to reduce the negative effect of fuel subsidy regime.
The Union’s National President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke gave the advice on Wednesday, at a Maiden Public Lecture and Groundbreaking ceremony of her Secretariat in Alex Ekwueme Federal University, ( AE-FUNAI), Ikwo local government area of Ebonyi.
Osedeke explained that the Lecture entitled: Reinventing Nigerian Universities for Research and Development: The ASUU Perspective, was to educate the public on importance of research for nation building.
Osedeke decried the way government had spent trillions of naira on repairing the refinaries, advicing that restoring them would ensure sustainable development not only in oil industry but in all sectors.
“See, let me tell you, any nation that doesn’t promote education always invite crisis.
“On subsidy removal, we are an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); so, whatever action they are taking on this nationwide issue, we’ll support them and our next action depend on NLC.
“In fact, we don’t believe in fuel subsidy. There is no subsidy in this country. You cannot be exporting crude oil for the past 70 years and yet you cannot refine the crude oil and sell to your people.
“Sell it to your people at the Nigeria rate and not in Dollar. You see, something is wrong. So, there is need to rebuild our refinaries and priorities the nation’s education for sustainable development,” he added.
Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, Immediate Past President of the Union, who delivered the lecture called for the need to fully engage the lecture and stakeholders in education for a better country.
Ogunyemi urged the federal and state governments to embrace research and prioritise education and improve quality for the citizens.
Prof Sunday Elom, Vice-Chancellor of AE-FUNAI represented by Prof Ramanus Ejiaga commended the Union for putting up the lecture.