The League of Imams and Alfas, Ogun State, has expressed deep concern over the lingering industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), calling on the Federal Government to take urgent and concrete steps to resolve the crisis and safeguard the future of Nigerian youths.
In a statement signed by their Secretary General, Imam Tajudeen Mustapha Adewunmi, entitled ‘ASUU Strike: An Urgent Appeal to Safeguard the Future of Our Nation’, the clerics lamented that repeated disruptions in the university system have continued to jeopardise education, family stability, and national development.
“As religious leaders, we cannot remain silent when the education of our youths and the stability of our nation are repeatedly placed in jeopardy,” the league said.
The group noted that each round of strike action leaves behind “painful scars,” trapping students in prolonged academic calendars, delaying graduation, and imposing financial and emotional burdens on parents and guardians.
“Parents and guardians are weighed down financially, paying for accommodation and living expenses even while schools remain shut,” the statement read.
“Families endure emotional stress as uncertainty about the future of their children grows heavier.”
The league further warned that the long periods of idleness among students expose them to social vices such as crime, drug abuse, and restlessness, with ripple effects on the wider society.
On the national level, the clerics described the consequences as far-reaching, saying frequent disruptions weaken the quality of education, encourage brain drain, and lead to the collapse of small businesses around campuses.
“Continuous strikes encourage brain drain, as both students and lecturers seek stability abroad. Local businesses around campuses collapse during closures, affecting livelihoods,” the group noted.
Calling for immediate government intervention, the league urged the Federal Government to address the root causes of the strikes by implementing the 2009 agreement with ASUU, improving infrastructure, and ensuring fair remuneration for lecturers.
“We therefore appeal to the Federal Government to take urgent and concrete steps toward resolving these issues once and for all.
“This includes ensuring fair and sustainable remuneration for lecturers, improving infrastructure and teaching facilities, and providing continuous funding for research and innovation to drive national development,” the league said.
The clerics also appealed to ASUU to approach ongoing negotiations with sincerity and a spirit of compromise.
“While grievances are valid, prolonged strikes only deepen the suffering of students, families, and the nation at large,” they cautioned.
Commending the Nigerian Senate for its recent intervention in the standoff, the league urged lawmakers to remain steadfast until a sustainable and lasting resolution is achieved.
“As a responsible stakeholder, the Senate has shown sensitivity to the plight of students, parents, and the future of our education system,” the statement read.
“We urge the Senate to ensure that this dialogue leads to a sustainable resolution.”
Reiterating that education remains the backbone of national development, the Ogun clerics warned that Nigeria cannot continue to halt its academic calendar without grave consequences.
