President Bola Tinubu has received praise from the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) for his effort on the students loan bill, stating that it will benefit the underprivileged and offer them access to education.
CONUA, a breakaway faction of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, said being a new programme, there would be some grey areas of the bill that must be reworked in favour of students.
The union said it was ready to partner the government to make the students’ loan scheme a success.
President of the union, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, who stated this, yesterday, said: “We are not advocating throwing away the baby with the bath water. We are optimists that the loan will provide the opportunity for the less privileged to have access to university education, increase funding of the system and help to stabilize the academic calendar.”
CONUA also saluted the courage of the Federal Government in removing the subsidy on petrol, describing it as a step in the right direction in efforts to develop the country.
It urged the government to fulfil its promise of using the proceeds of the subsidy removal to develop infrastructure in the education sector, health, roads and security, among others.
He said: “As a union, we are aware of the Renewed Hope agenda of this administration, we also acknowledge the decision to take the very tough actions required to engineer fundamental changes in the polity.
“We equally appreciate the commitment to take the actions necessary to ameliorate the temporary painful effects of the inescapable tough decisions. CONUA hopes the administration would provide the visionary leadership for the sustainable and progressive development of all facets of the nation.”
“We, therefore, assure of our readiness to partner with this administration by generating and making accessible ideas and suggestions that will take, in particular, our educational system from its current state to a pedestal that we shall all be proud of.”
‘’Together, we will work to engender renewed hope in Nigeria and create the conditions for the fulfilment of the noble aspirations of the citizenry,’’ Sunmonu said.