The Royal Commonwealth Society, Nigeria Branch has pledged to mediate between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government using the instrument of ‘Academic Diplomacy’ to resolve the situation.
The Country Director of the society, Mr. Blackson Bayewumi, said this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.
Bayewumi appealed to ASUU to embrace meaningful dialogue, consultations and compromise at resolving the prolonged academic strike, given the fact that the Federal Government was confronted with several other challenges with limited resources.
He urged the union to also consider the lean income of the government to call-off the strike in the interest of the students, their parents and the nation in general.
“It is now essential for the Royal Commonwealth Society Nigeria Branch to intervene in the ongoing industrial action by members of ASUU, in Nigeria after over six months of shutting down academic activities in all public universities.
“There is the Article XI of the Charter of the Commonwealth adopted on Dec. 14, 2012 by Commonwealth Heads of Government, and signed on March 11, 2013 by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, of England, and Head of the Commonwealth.
“This article shows that access to education, among others, is accorded high priority by the Charter of the Commonwealth.
“Nigerian universities are members of the Association of Commonwealth Universities which is one of the associations accredited to the Commonwealth,” he said.