Trade unions in the University of Maiduguri has condemned what it described as Federal Government’s insensitivity to the security threats by Boko Haram in the varsity, alleging that the government inaction on the security situation was helping in giving boost to Boko Haram ideology.
“Boko Haram proclaims western education as forbidden and the University of Maiduguri is at the forefront of championing western education in the country. So for Boko Haram, sustained attacks on the university would attentuate the insurgents’ wild ideology,” leader of the unions and chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr Dani Mamman said on Wednesday at a press conference in Maiduguri.
Mamman said ASUU, SSANU (Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities), NASU (Non Academic Staff Union), NATT (National Association of Academic Technologies), and Student Union Government (SUG) of the University were compelled to bring to the public the precarious security situation and threats to life at UNIMAID.
He disclosed that increasing Boko Haram attacks in the state in recent time shows that the insurgents were regrouping again, warning government to wake up to its responsibility.
He said the unions were particularly worried that neither the minister of education nor a Federal Government delegation has visited the university since January 16th first Boko Haram bombing on the campus which killed a professor of vetenary medicine, Prof. Aliyu Usman Mani.
He said the government action reflected its “insensitivity to the plight of the University, students and parents” that lost loved ones, adding that government inaction also tends to support Boko Haram ideology against western education making the insurgents to keep the tempo of attacks on the campus, the latest being multiple explosions on June 25. “That was the eight deadly attacks within five months,” the ASUU chairman said.
He disclosed that 70 professors and other staff that fled the university in the wake of incessant attacks have started returning only to be confronted with suicide bomb attacks even while peace was gradually returning to the troubled state.
He urged the Federal Government to build the perimeter fence at the varsity and approve the N2.8 billion requested by the University authority to procure modern security equipment to stop Boko Haram from executing “greater attacks” on the campus.
The unions threatened to distrupt academic calenda of the University should the Federal Government fails to act in time.