NASU seeks implementation of education retreat recommendations

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has called on the Federal Government to raise the required policies for the implementation of the recommendations of the just concluded Federal Executive Council on education.

The retreat hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari, had ‘the challenges facing the Nigeria educational sector’, was aimed at unearthing challenges confronting the education sector with a view to finding enduring solutions.

The General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi, in a commendation to the President, noted that implementation of resolutions of retreat have always been the challenge in Nigeria and not hosting of retreats.

He said: “The challenge before you Mr. President, will be the implementation of the recommendations of the retreat. Nigeria has had its own fair share of retreats. Unfortunately, what has been lacking is the political will to implement recommendations from such retreats and continuity of policies.”

He stressed that NASU as one of the critical stakeholders in the education sector look forward with great expectation to the outcome of the retreat including the strategies for implementation of the recommendations.

He said the buck stops on the President’s table and would be the one who will have to muster the political will to implement the resolutions.

He also reminded President Buhari that time is of essence and this is more important than the polices, saying, “because we are in a country where there is lack of continuity in policies. It is rear to find governments in Nigeria, continuing with policies of previous administrations. Good policies have not been lacking in the country. What has been lacking is effective implementation and continuity. We therefore suggest that all these should be taken into consideration while putting in place implementation strategies of the recommendations of the retreat.”

Mr. President, your opening remarks at the retreat are in tandem with the report of the Vision 2010 Committee on education. The report of the Vision 2010 Committee states that: “The development of human capital is an essential precondition for a country’s economic, political and socio-cultural transformation. Human capital is Nigeria’s most valuable asset and needs to be mobilized, developed and empowered to participate fully in all programme of socio-economic development.” On education, the report states that: “In an increasingly competitive world, education is the most powerful instrument for developing and empowering the citizens to master their social and natural environments and to compete for survival.