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NASU decries neglect of public libraries

By Editor
03 November 2015   |   12:20 am
THE Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has flayed the neglect of public libraries by governments at the states and federal levels.

libraryTHE Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has flayed the neglect of public libraries by governments at the states and federal levels.

A communiqué signed by the Deputy President and Trade Group Secretary of WAEC/Libraries and other Trade Group Council of NASU, Adegoke Adeniyi and Damola Adelekun respectively at the end of its 6th quadrennial delegates conference held in Lagos, said most public libraries in the country are in deplorable condition.

It added: “The Conference-in-Session observed with dismay the present deplorable conditions of Nigerian Public Libraries and National Library of Nigeria due to neglect by the Government and decline in individual and organizational support.”
The union also frowned and disapproved some state Governor concessionning of E-Library to private operators and other ministries as against its usage by the library boards.

It noted that for the country to develop and the present government’s clamour for eradication of illiteracy to succeed, urgent attention must be given to resuscitation of libraries in Nigeria.

The Conference-in-Session therefore called on all tiers of Government to make it a priority by providing adequate funds for this education sector since they are not created to generate revenue but to render services to the populace and also implored the Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND) to intervene in the pathetic situation in public libraries.
The meeting berated some state governors who are yet to pay salaries despite receiving bailout fund from the Federal Government.
It views the development as negative, anti-worker agenda as well as an inhuman act, which has brought untold hardship on the workers and invariably on the populace.

The Conference-in-Session commended the giant strides of President Buhari in providing bailout funds for all the affected state governments to offset the debt owed workers.

“The Conference-in-Session therefore called on all the affected State Governors to, with immediate effect, use the bailout funds for payment of the arrears of salaries owed the workers and henceforth ensure effective and prompt payment of workers’ salaries,” it said.

The Conference-in-Session also charged workers of the affected States not to compromise the payment and to closely monitor the disbursement of the funds in order to forestall any attempt by some State Governors to use the funds for other purposes.
NASU expressed concerns over the inadequate funding of examination bodies, which is hampering the execution of their mandates.
It stated: “The Conference-in-Session expressed worries over inadequate funding of education, which is the most important ingredient of development and an effective weapon against poverty. It decried the effect on the education sector especially examination bodies established to conduct examinations and train our youths to be creative. The Conference-in-Session also frowned at the indebtedness of some State Governments to these examination bodies, which denied the bodies the needed funds to effectively carry out their responsibilities.”

It therefore called on the state governments that are indebted to WAEC, NECO and NABTEB to as a matter of urgency completely offset their indebtedness without delay in order to strengthen the examination bodies and secure the future of our youths.
While declaring its support for the establishment a special court to try corrupt cases, NASU restated its support for the anti-corruption stance of the Buhari government.

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