The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the student loan initiative.
In a statement, President of the union, which broke away from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, said: “We are not advocating throwing away the baby with the bath water. We are optimists who wish that the loan will provide the opportunity for the less privileged to have access to University education, increase funding into the system and help to stabilize the academic calendar”.
Sunmonu said being a new programme, there will be some grey areas of the bill that must be reworked in favour of the students, adding that CONUA is ready to partner with the government to make the students’ loan scheme a success.
“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 fulfillment of the noble aspirations of the citizenry”.
