University lecturer, Dr Hilary Owamah, has accused the Federal Government of deliberately underfunding universities.
He said the strike was “regrettable’ and accused parents of complacency by not demanding that Federal Government resolved the strike.
Dr Owamah, who spoke at his 40th birthday anniversary in Asaba, warned that the impact of the strike would be “generational”.
He urged the political class to promote merit over political expediency, stressing Nigeria can achieve development if premium was placed on merit.
The university teacher claimed he was denied the rectorship of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi- Uku in Aniocha South, despite coming first in an interview conducted last year by the institution.
. Dr Owamah, associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Delta State University, Abraka, is its director of Academic Planning Unit
He said for ASUU strike to linger for six months was evidence government had no interest in welfare of masses.
The university teacher backed ASUU’s demands for adequate funding, stressing that no nation could achieve development without qualitative education.
“Salary happens to be the least demands of ASUU. Funding is at the heart of the demands of ASUU. This is to ensure that we have functional laboratories and a conducive environment for teachers to bring out the best in our youths.”
He accused the elite of deliberately underfunding education to “perpetually keep the poor masses ignorant” and urged parents against indifference to the crisis in the educational sector.
He advocated a law to prevent the elites from sending their children abroad for education, stressing that such a law will help revamp the educational sector.
He advocated the establishment of a loan scheme to aid indigent university students, adding that as a student he was forced to borrow money at extortionate rates from a money lender to complete his education.
His words, “At 26, I could not afford the fees of my Master’s Degree program, so I had to borrow money from a money lender for the programme. The money lender said I was too young and that I had no collateral. He said I should bring my parents but because my father had divorced my mother long ago I was stranded. My mother, a poor teacher, could not afford the exorbitant rates. I turned to my wife, who was then my girlfriend for assistance to get the loan.I borrowed N150,000 which ballooned to N900,000. So I appeal to government across all levels to initiate student loans for the masses to enable them acquire tertiary education.”
Owamah, who once lectured at Landmark University, said he encountered Bishop Oyedepo twice in a trance where he (Oyedepo) prophesied that he would work for him.
Armed with a Master’s Degree from University of Port Harcourt in 2012, Owamah said he was miraculously employed as a senior lecturer in the Department of Engineering at Living Faith Church owned Landmark University until he took appointment at the State owned university.
Owamah urged Nigerian youths to emulate his achievements and aspire for excellence, stressing that only hardwork can guarantee success.