Mohammed Shosanya
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has faulted the Federal Government’s policy attempting to restrict the minimum age requirement for enrollment for Senior Secondary School Examination at 18 years, describing it as untenable.
The union described the policy as limiting, backward and capable of short-changing students and their parents.
Its President Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, in a communique issued at the End of the 49th Regular National Executive Council Meeting of the Union on Sunday, implored the government to rescind its decision while it engages in further consultations to avoid a crisis in the education sector.
Faulting the policy SSANU’s President said, “NEC in session lend her voice to critical stakeholders in the education sector in condemning the decision of the Federal Government to peg the age at which students can write the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE), and gaining admission into tertiary institutions at 18.
“Generality of stakeholders believe that this policy would drag the education sector back. While reacting to the comment by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman Tahir, that from 2025 any candidate who is not up to 18 years would not be allowed to write SSCE and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Examination Board (JAMB), urged Government to consult widely as it has promised on this critical matter to avert crisis in the sector”.
He also decried a situation where the government deploys divide and rule tactics in dealing with issues in the university system, lamenting that it will hurt tertiary institutions if not checked.
He said:”NEC in session views with great concer the adoption of the divide and rule style by Government in the university system. A situation where government engages in negotiations with one particular union while neglecting others over similar issues most times sets up unions on a collision course, thereby heating up the educational system.
“This balkanization tactics of Government has severally increased the number of avoidable industrial crises in higher institutions. It should be on record that all unions are important and symbiotic in the system.
“NEC therefore, appeals to the advisers of Mr. President to take serious note of this. NEC calls on Government to engage all University-based unions holistically, especially on issues of staff welfare rather than isolating some as this suggests discrimination”.