Some prominent indigenes of Kogi State rallied together in Lagos at the weekend to seek ways of ending the lingering strike by the lecturers which paralysed academic activities at the Kogi State University for some time now.
In a statement issued at the end of the parley, which was under the aegis of Kogi Professional Forum, KPF, the people appealed to Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the government to apply the principle of effective dialogue in order to end the protracted face-off.
The statement, which was signed by the National Convener of the forum and Secretary, Ibrahim Ali and Dr. Olushola Mathew respectively, also appealed to the school management to consider the efforts of Governor Yahaya Bello so far and call off its strike, which it noted was devastating and demoralising.
The KPF, while acknowledging that the management of the school was fighting a just cause, urged them to also consider that the government of Yahaya Bello has accepted to bear responsibility of the burden transferred to his government from another administration, even as the group appealed to the university body to also consider the plight of the students who are the greatest losers in the face-off.
The forum also applauded Bello over the renaming of the 15-year-old Kogi State University after the late Prince Abubakar Audu.
It said re-naming the institution “Prince Abubakar Audu University,” is a welcome development aimed at immortalising the late former governor who worked hard for the progress of the state during his tenure. The group pledged that it was ready to work with the governor in achieving his dreams for the state, noting, “Governor Bello has proven that Kogi can regain its lost glory and that he is a visionary leader ready to make the state a place to reckon with in the nearest future.”
Earlier this year, the governor assured civil servants in the state of the readiness of his government to build an iron-cast relationship with labour in order to deliver good governance to people of the state and give hope to all citizens of Kogi. Bello also promised an open-door policy, pledging a government of service to the people with transparency as bulwark of his development.
Credit: National Mirror
