Report that some universities have hiked their fees attributed to the chairman of the University of Ibadan Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Deji Omole, has been alleged to be false.
Expressing dismay over the report attributed to him, he denied issuing any statement to any media house on increment of fees in 38 universities.
He, however, called for investigation into ‘mischievous’ and damaging report on hike in universities’ fees, which he said, originated from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to him, “I was never in Abuja and did not speak with any medium nor issue any statement concerning fees hike in universities,” adding that “ASUU is a well-coordinated union and places factual data in public domain in an incontrovertible manner.”
He called on Director-General of NAN, which was quoted by national dailies as the source of the news, to investigate the matter.
Omole, who noted that he was shocked when people called him over the news item, noted that ASUU as a responsible pro-public education and masses union must not be linked to independent investigations conducted on education to make it authentic.
He stated that his comments on the second year anniversary of President Muhammadu Buhari was clear on poor funding and inadequate budgetary provisions for public education.
Omole maintained that both Federal and state governments continue to play politics with the lives of the children of the masses by planning to deny them quality education.
“I need to place it on record that I was never in Abuja nor issued any press release to NAN or any other news medium in Abuja as falsely presented to the public.
“Therefore, I do not know the sources of the figures quoted in the report. ASUU is a well-coordinated union, who will carry out incontrovertible research and present this to the public.
“It is the duty of journalists to carry out investigation and if you have done that, why can’t you state that to the public? Why must you link it to ASUU that never spoke to you?
“Is it because NAN is a federal institution and does not want government to sanction them for stating the obvious? This is bad journalism practice. For me, my position remains that the government has not lived up to the electioneering campaigns of funding public education. We shall continue to fight for the funding of public education and resist any attempt to deny children of the poor masses public education,” he stated.
