NIGERIANS are reacting to an offer made by the Federal Government to facilitate admissions for interested returnees who fled the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine in March.
In a statement issued on Monday, spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs Francisca Omayuli disclosed that efforts were being made to facilitate the placement of the returnees in various Nigerian tertiary institutions, to enable them continue their studies.
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“In this connection, interested students should visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: https://foreignaffairs.gov.ng and complete the online Nigerian Student in Ukraine (NSU) registration form with the required information on or before 15th July, 2022,” the statement said.
However, academic activities in federal and state universities across the country have been grounded for over four months as a result of a rift between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and as a result, Nigerians think the admission offer advertised is impractical.
“Nigerian tertiary institutions owned by the same Federal Government, which have been shut for over 140 days? Is this fake news or what?” Mkpe Abang asked rhetorically via Twitter.
An undergraduate of Food Science and Technology at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) Cynthia Alioke, told The ICIR that it would be difficult for the Ukraine returnees to fit into the Nigerian education system that is fraught with several challenges.
“First of all, these people left Nigeria because of the problems in the education sector and I don’t see how they will adapt now when the situations they tried to avoid have not been resolved.
“Since February, ASUU has been on indefinite strike and their meetings with the government has not produced any result because they continue to trade blames. Now offering admission into schools that are not even in session just sounds like a joke to me,” Ajioke said.
Meanwhile, the National President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osedeke, insisted Monday that the union will only call off the ongoing strike after the Federal Government accepts its proposed University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) payment platform.
“Let government tell us they have finished testing the UTAS and sign the agreement, then tomorrow we will call off the strike,” Osedeke said while speaking on Channels Television.