Vice Chancellors of Universities in Nigeria have unanimously condemned in strong terms the ongoing indefinite strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The VCs, under the aegis of Association of Vice Chancellors of Federal State Universities in Nigeria, rising from a meeting in Abuja, urged both the Federal Government  and ASUU to expeditiously resolve the crisis.

Secretary-General of the association, Professor Michael Faborode, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday.

He said: “At the 59th meeting of the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Federal, State and Private Universities held on Thursday, 18th July, 2013, at the Nigerian Turkish Nile University (NTNU), Abuja, the ongoing national strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was extensively deliberated upon.

“The association noted that the strike action was crippling the education system in Nigeria, and portraying the system and the country in bad light to the global community.

“The association therefore appealed to the Federal Government and ASUU to expeditiously reach an amicable solution on the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, so as to restore normal academic activities in Nigerian university system,” he said.

The vice chancellors also expressed disgust over widespread plagiarism involving both lecturers and students in Nigerian Universities.

He said the association also considered its ‘Keffi Declaration’ on preservation and sustenance of academic traditions in Nigerian universities, and noted a few infractions.

“It urged its members to continue to uphold the extant traditions of the academic system.

“It was observed in particular that, the association, by collectively subscribing to the TURN-IT-IN anti-plagiarism services at a considerable cost, has taken appropriate steps to uphold article 9.2 i&ii of the Declaration, aimed at combating widespread plagiarism in our universities, by authenticating the originality of all academic publications for the sake of credibility of the system,”he said.

He added: “Members extolled the virtues of the anti-plagiarism package within a short time of its usage, and projected that indolent and lazy academics and students, who denigrate the system with their inordinate ambition and sharp practices, no longer have any hiding place, as the service would fish them out for appropriate sanction.

“Plagiarism is one of the most heinous misdemeanours in the academic system”.

The meeting was attended by over 50 Vice Chancellors and Deputies

Great, @ least some people are quite reasonable than we thought.

Okay.