According to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nigeria’s education system is on life support and will perish soon if caution is not exercised.

Dr. Christopher Echereobia, the Chairperson of ASUU at Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), made the submission at a tripartite event sponsored by the union at the institution on Thursday.

The valedictory congress of the union, the acknowledgment of retirees, and the awarding of scholarships to impoverished and talented university students were all part of the three-in-one event.

Echereobia described ASUU as a selfless union striving for improving tertiary education in the country, saying it has remained the lifeline of the country’s education system.

He said, “Education system in Nigeria is in life support Machine, the life support is ASUU, if you remove ASUU, it will collapse; ASUU is a selfless union fighting for infrastructure and welfare of members and students.”

He explained that the union opted to honor retirees from 2010 to 2021 in acknowledgment of their dedicated service to the university, while the scholarship awards to nine students were intended to motivate them to study harder.

Echereobia asked the union’s new leadership to take the wellbeing of staff and students seriously.

Prof. Adive Udedibie, one of the retirees, expressed his displeasure with the extortion of students that has crept into the university and demanded it is halted in his speech.

In order to succeed, he advised staff to pursue studies and research seriously.

Udedibie urged the younger academics to try to learn from the more experienced teachers and save for their retirement.

Prof. Nnenna Otti, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, noted that some lecturers skip teaching, which she defined as their primary obligation, in order to deal with union issues.

Otti said that lecturers are first and foremost academics before becoming ASUU members and that they should consequently take teaching seriously.

She expressed her dedication to the workforce and retirees’ well-being.