The Nigerian Statistical Association (NSA) has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to waive its ban on the international statistical conference slated to hold in University of Lagos (UNILAG), from Sept. 4th to 8th.
The appeal is contained a letter written to the National Strike Monitoring Committee through the UNILAG Chapter of the union.
A copy of the letter was made available on Sunday in Abuja.
In a letter signed by Dr Olusanya Olubusoye, the Chairman, National Organising Committee of the conference, the association stated that the conference was fixed a year ago after its 2016 conference.
The letter was a response to the letter written by Dr Odukoya Laja, ASUU Chairman, UNILAG chapter, that due to the on-going ASUU strike, the conference would not hold in the campus as scheduled.
Olubusoye said the appeal to ASUU became expedient since the conference was fixed before the strike commenced and for economic as well as academic reasons.
“ The idea of an international statistical conference was a major attempt by the Governing Council of NSA to raise the consciousness of our political leaders to the critical role of using data for planning.
“This is clearly evident from the consistent shortfall in allocation to universities over the years, which is partly responsible for the current ASUU strike.
“The conference had long been planned and given wide publicity thereby making expected number of participants to be in thousands from within Nigeria and abroad.
“No other befitting venue with standard facilities and academic serenity outside UNILAG Main Auditorium can accommodate the vast number of participants and dignitaries being expected,’’ Olubusoye said.
He added that ASUU should allow the conference hold in UNILAG because of international participants who had purchased their tickets through the funding support from local and international organisations.
The chairman explained that such funding might be denied in future if this conference failed to deliver the minimum international standard.
He said that huge cost running into millions of Naira had been committed to the preparation of the conference.
He listed some of the monies already expended on the confab to include payment for the Main Auditorium, Conference facilities and hotel accommodation, adding that relocating the venue now would be a great calamity.
Olubusoye said: “as a long standing financial member of ASUU with full commitment and support to the on-going struggle, this appeal cannot be intended to undermine the laudable cause of the strike.
“Rather, the conference has the potential of helping to resolve part of the problem that led to the strike in a sustainable manner.
“It can help to resolve it by using the platform provided by the conference to make advocacy for knowledge driven economy and evidence-based policy making.’’
He however, informed the participants that alternative arrangement had been made while waiting for favourable response from ASUU.
Olubusoye, who is also the 2nd Vice President of NSA, said that arrangement had been made to hold the pre-conference workshop scheduled for Sept. 4th to 5th at the Multipurpose Hall of the Federal College of Education (FCE), Akoka, Lagos.
He said that the main conference would also hold at FCE, which is about three minutes walking distance from UNILAG.
According to him, FCE has granted the association the privilege to accommodate interested participants on its campus, adding that all other arrangements remained as planned in the programme.
The theme of the conference is “Positioning National Statistical System for Data Revolution and Inclusive Development.’’
Source: pmnewsnigeria
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