“ASUU and Government to be more Committed in reaching a Solution” – Catholic Bishops “ASUU and Government to be more Committed in reaching a Solution” – Catholic Bishops
  A PRESS STATEMENT  BY THE DIRECTOR OF CHURCH AND SOCIETY OF THE CATHOLIC SECRETARIAT OF NIGERIA AND EXECUTIVE SECRETARY/CEO OF CARITAS NIGERIA/JDPC  FR... “ASUU and Government to be more Committed in reaching a Solution” – Catholic Bishops

 

A PRESS STATEMENT  BY THE DIRECTOR OF CHURCH AND SOCIETY OF THE CATHOLIC SECRETARIAT OF NIGERIA AND EXECUTIVE SECRETARY/CEO OF CARITAS NIGERIA/JDPC  FR EVARISTUS BASSEY
Archbishop Kaigama, President Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria

Archbishop Kaigama, President Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria

Gentlemen of the press, these are the days when silence is no longer golden, when the fear of being drowned in the cacophony of voices should not be an excuse to keep quiet. This is a time when doing nothing becomes an accessory to the fact of national destruction. The polity is heated up, the public educational sector  is in near paralysis, the  future of our unity as a nation is severely threatened by the devastating competition of interests. It is on this note that as a concerned citizen one is bound to make the following remarks.

 ASUU DEMANDS
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has called on both ASUU and government to be more committed in reaching a solution and has offered to mediate. I reiterate the call of the Catholic Bishops. Catholic Bishops care for nearly 30 million Catholics. In a proper democracy, that is a number to be reckoned with. About 54 Bishops gathered together and made this call. We advise Government to  look more critically at the demands of ASUU, and now that salaries have been stopped there is a tendency that the strike will

Rev. Fr. Evaristus Bassey, Director, Church and Society of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria and Executive Secretary/CEO, of Caritas, Nigeria/JDPC

Rev. Fr. Evaristus Bassey, Director, Church and Society of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria and Executive Secretary/CEO, of Caritas, Nigeria/JDPC

become prolonged. I understand that ASUU demands arose from jointly undertaken needs assessments and the turn around in our educational system was valued at 1.2 trillion Naira. I understand that Government expressed a willingness through the then Minister of Education, to tackle the rot in a staggered form, by injecting 400 billion naira every year for three years. Government decided to start off immediately with 100 billion naira which was to offset some of ASUU’s arrears among other interventions. Government is said to have failed even on  this. If all this is true, we advise Government to learn to be more serious with what it agrees with its citizens. Government officials seem to forget certain serious matters as soon as they get distracted by other important matters.  There should  consistency in policy administration. At this time Nigeria is having one of the lowest allocations to the education sector instead of pining towards  the UNESCO 26% recommendation. It remains a mystery  how   government never has  enough funds to revitalize critical sectors as education  when FIRS last year made more than 4 trillion naira, much more than the amount needed for the budget; not mentioning amounts from crude oil sales. As government intervened in the aviation and banking sectors, let the intervention government agreed to do be initiated. It is possible.

 Nevertheless  ASUU needs to  listen to the appeal of the Catholic Bishops and call off the strike because those being affected are children of the average citizens who cannot afford to train their children overseas. In encyclical letters such as Rerum Novarum and Populorum Progressio, the Popes encourage the formation of unions but discourage strike actions as these usually have unintended consequences. These children may start resorting to crime and prostitution because of idleness.
ASUU too should talk to its members to change. There is so much rot in the university system that has nothing to do with government.  Many lecturers hardly attend classes and treat their main job as a side attraction while having a full focus on other businesses. Many university teachers still trade with marks and treat female students as sex objects. The university system is one of the most corrupt sector in Nigeria. The systems and processes leading to graduation in many universities are callous and uncoordinated. This is not caused by government. Many students have to start searching for their marks from  one lecturer to the other to ensure they graduate and many sight their certificates only years after graduation.  All these must change. Now with TETFUND, infrastructure is gradually improving and ASUU should revamp first the things within its power to do. It is not only government that is responsible for none of our universities being listed as having world renown. ASUU  should lead the revolution on the rebranding of the black man as a creature with a serious purpose, because the university is a universe of ideas.
POLITICS OF 2015
President Goodluck Jonathan has a right to contest the 2015 elections. The constitution guarantees him this right. Those who oppose him on the basis that he has no right should find something else to do. However a President  is a man of integrity. If indeed President Jonathan  promised to have only one term, they should allow him decide whether or not to be a man of honour.  He  should not be forced to be a man of honour, for when elephants fight it is the grass that suffers. Nigerian citizens were not there when they were cutting the deals, Nigerian citizens know only what  the constitution provides. Nevertheless as President and father of the nation, President Jonathan should look deep within himself and answer at what cost he would pursue this ambition. It should not be at the expense of democracy whether internal party or popular democracy.  Those at both ends who threaten the peace of this nation must realize that Nigeria is not only for politicians and sacred war lords. Nigeria is bigger than Jonathan’s quest for a second term and bigger than the North’s insistence to reclaim the presidency. We should at least have a nation we are fighting over.  The ruling parties should not think that once someone emerges from them as  flag bearers they automatically win. There will be a showdown in 2015. The opposition parties should not think that Nigerians will automatically revert to them. They should explore the open space and establish a robust presence so that the inherent competition will be to the benefit of the poor populace. No democracy thrives with a hungry opposition.
A WAY OUT OF CORRUPTION
According to the 2012 Corruption Perception index by Transparency International, Nigeria is 139th out of about 176 countries. This still leaves Nigeria as one of the most corrupt nations of the world. Corruption has gradually become a culture. While strengthening the anticorruption agencies is a good strategy, a preventive measure is better. Every organization and institution beginning with the church should tighten its internal controls systems. Good internal controls with proper monitoring ensure standards and reduce corruption. However there is another way corruption could be tackled.  As a Church we want to recommend the option of Subsidiarity. In Catholic Social Teaching, the principle of Subsidiarity states that those who are close to a situation and have the capacity to handle it should not be supplanted by a bigger power but rather be supported to handle it. It gives room for collaboration and solidarity. For instance the Church has been in education long before independence; the first mission hospital similarly was established about 120 years ago. Government should allocate funds to voluntary agencies to do these things she has been doing well. Government must not always serve the citizen directly; other agencies could do it better. Our Federal government undertakes too much and becomes incompetent. We welcome what is happening in Anambra State with the recent allocation of 600 million naira each to the Anglican and Catholic Churches for their social services. This should not be a one off gesture but legislated and replicated in states. We intend to sponsor a private member’s bill on State Support for Social Sector Activities of Non State Actors. The more money government takes out of its kitty and gives to those who can deliver, such as voluntary agencies, the less money government officials have to waste and misappropriate. This will improve access and lower costs of essential social services such as health and education. The flip side is that voluntary agencies have to build their systems to meet certain standards. We call on President Jonathan to support a bill that will lead to a fund  for voluntary agencies intervening in health, education and other community services, and indeed a fund for faith based organizations or NGOs generally, while state governments do so in their states. We pray the usual Nigerian factor will not creep in and make this a basket of corrupt apples.
WORLD TOURISM DAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 2013
 This year’s World Tourism Day which is tomorrow has the theme: Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future. The Holy Father Pope Francis and the Bishops of Nigeria enjoin all to inculcate environment friendly approaches in the exploitation and use of natural water resources, forest reserves, green belts, game reserves etc to enhance economic growth for the well being of all especially the poor in our society today and for future generations. Water always has a link with sanitation and sanitation has a link to health. Deforestation is causing many water sources to dry up, for according to a This Day report, ‘rivulets that were before now protected by a canopy of trees are now exposed to sun that quicken their dryness…’ (Online Report  1 Nov 2012).
Provision of good drinking sources of water enhances the well being of citizens. Neglected tropical
diseases, many of which emerge from poor water sources are by so doing tackled as well through provision of adequate and accessible supply of potable water. Some states have good water access per population. Many states still have very poor access especially in the rural areas. We anticipate the occasion tomorrow and call on governments at all levels to initiate small water schemes in rural areas.
We call on the Federal Government to give special attention to communities that have limited their livelihoods because their forests have been declared national parks or forests or games reserves. Since these vegetation contributes to the well being of the planet, communities in National Parks, for instance the three axis of the Cross River National Park, should have their infrastructure developed as a matter of urgency.  It is sad to note that the road leading to Ekang, the border community with Cameroun, that passes through the Oban East axis of the Cross River National Park is impassable, and the people have been treated as if they were part of the flora and fauna. We commend Gov Liyel Imoke for patching up certain sections. Government should stop treating the people of these areas as if they are part of the animals in the parks, even an animal has rights.
CONCLUSION
President Jonathan and the governors should heed the call of the Archbishop of Lagos Most Rev. Adewale Martins to concentrate on governance rather than second terms or political promotion. Governors control everything in their states; and they will answer to God for the way they have allowed the local government system to be a mere welfare dispensing entity with no focus on the development of the local communities.
We should all pray and work for the peace of this nation.
Thank you.

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