ASUU STRIKE: THOUGHTS OF A CONCERNED STUDENT

As the industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) enters week 12, there is still no sign of an end in sight as the Union had withdrawn from talks with the Federal Government (FG) for some weeks now. We’ve seen both sides blaming and criticizing the other for the lingering strike action.We’ve also seen and heard comments from various stakeholders concerning this issue. While some have aligned themselves with the FG, others are backing ASUU insisting that the FG should invest hugely in the funding of research and development of infrastructure of the universities so as to improve the standard of our university education and improve in the quality of graduates produced by our universities.

Since the strike began on the 1^st of July, academic activities in the nation’s public (both Federal and State Government owned) universities has been on a standstill. While the lecturers have been focusing on their private practices, the students have been idle with little or nothing to do. While some (including me) have tried to look for little jobs to do, others have resulted into several social vices, constituting nuisance to both their parents and the society. Indeed we’ve seen news about crimes committed by or against students who are supposed to be in school. Just this morning I woke up to the news of the arrest of two students of University of Jos by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who were allegedly involved in a bank fraud of N2.05billion. This is just one among the several others I’ve heard this strike period.

When the strike started in July, we heard rumours that it was going to last for a hundred days. But the official report was that the strike was indefinite. This meant different things to different people. While some students were optimistic that the issues would be quickly resolved by the President Jonathan led administration and thestrike wouldn’t last long, others were pessimistic about the strike action referring to previous strikes carried out by the Union (ASUU).The day the strike started in my school, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), some students who live in Enugu and its environs were seen packing their bags and leaving the hostel in droves. Students from other parts of the country remained in school for about two weeks or more hoping that the strike would be called off soon. To most of these students who have to travel several hours to get home, it was better to remain in school and hope the strike won’t linger. Indeed if you consider the cost and risk involved in travelling to and from school, you’ll decide to remain in school as it won’t be fun to travel home and the strike is called off the next day or week. This uncertainty made a few people remain in school for over a month. But virtually every student is home now as the strike is now 80 days old.I remember that when ASUU strike began, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) was also on strike. Though theirs was suspended a few weeks after, it lasted for 81 days.

Why ASUU Went on Strike

The Union has explained that its resolution to embark on its latest strike was informed by the Federal Government’s decision to renege on the agreement it reached with the Union led by Prof. UkachukwuAwuziein 2009. ‘The 2009 Agreement’ as it is fondly called included the review of the retirement age of lecturers from 65 to 70 years, increased funding of universities, ‘complete’ autonomy for universities, and an increase in the wages of university lecturers etc. The Union claimed that the FG has faltered in the implementation of some sections of the agreement which led to the current strike.

FG’s Failed Attempt to Resolve the Crisis

Since the strike began in July, the major issues on the front burner has been the unpaid arrears of the earned allowances of the lecturers and the failure by the FG to appropriate the  N1.2Trillion it agreed to invest in the universities over a time frame of 4 years. The FG setup 2 different committees to meet and address the issues raised by ASUU. The first committee was the ‘Needs Assessment Committee’ headed by the Benue State Governor, Dr Gabriel Suswan and the second was the committee that looked into the issue of earned allowance by the lecturers headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen.Ayim Pius Ayim.

Afterweeks of various meetingsand consultations, the FG released N30billion through the Sen. Ayim Pius Ayim led committee to service the issue of the earned allowances while it also released N100billion to the Governing Councils of the universities through the ‘Needs Assessment Committee’. Despite all these, the Union decided to withdraw from further talks with the FG.

ASUU Withdraws from Talks with FG

The ASUU President Dr NasirFagge in an interview session on Channels Television said that the Union decided to withdraw from further talks with the FG following the government’s insincerity in implementing ‘The 2009 Agreement’. Dr Fagge further said that the government was trying to renegotiate the terms of the agreement instead of implementing it. He also accused the FGof taking some money from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) purse to make up the N100billion it offered for the development of infrastructure in the universities. This, the ASUU President said was unacceptable to the Union.

Okonjo: FG has no money to meet ASSU’s demands

FG claims that there’s no money to meet ASUU’s ‘outrageous’ demands and I wonder how someone will go into an agreement with anotherconsciously and come back later to say he can’t meet up with the terms. This is really funny and laughable. I find this claim by the Honourable Minister of Finance ridiculous. Every Nigerian knows how extravagant our government has been yet it claims that there’s no money to meet ASUU’s demands. Just some days after this claim was made, we all saw the alleged ‘Celebration of the Nigerian Woman’ by the First Lady beamed live on National Television. This was clearly a political campaign for President Goodluck Jonathan as women from several parts of the country stormed the Eagle Square in colourful materials with the pictures of the President crested on them and chanting solidarity songs in support of Mr President. There was also a DJ at hand who played songs as the women partied for hours while their children were sitting idle at home as a result of the strike. As expected, the city of Abuja was brought to a standstill as all roads leading to the venue were cordoned off. As if that wasn’t wasteful enough, the President hosted members of his party to what they called ‘PDP Post Convention Dinner’ which was also broadcast live on National Television. This was clearly a wasteful event as I don’t see any need celebrating a convention that left the PDP ‘family’ in shambles. Of course that was another avenue for the ruling party to waste the Nations resources on something that has no benefit whatsoever on the larger populace.

Politics over Governance (Education)

Since the inception of democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999, the problem of Nigeria seems to have moved from the recovery ward to the intensive care unit. Everybody in Nigeria wants to get into power by any means necessary just to achieve their selfish interest. Everyone wants to get their slice of the ‘National Cake’ and not a shot at serving the people. In Nigeria it’s more politics and less governance. Right from 1999 to date, it’s been politics, politics and more politics. From the day of election to the next election, you see both the ruling and opposition parties engaging in serious politicking. All kinds of blackmails, war of words and even physical battles like is common in the House of Representatives and the State Houses of Assembly.

It is really appalling that the President Goodluck Jonathan led administration has also aligned itself with this trend despite its promise of ‘Fresh Air’ and all what not. The Presidents 2015 ambition has been the major bone of contention since the last election in 2011. Everything happening in the polity now points to 2015. This 2015 issue has really occupied the minds of our leaders that all their energy and resources are vested towards campaigning and mobilizing support for the 2015 election which is about 2 years away to the detriment of the populace. Since the issue of the PDP breakup started, we’ve seen how much attention it’s been getting. Both the President and former President have been actively involved in various consultations and meetings since the first night to quickly resolve the issue. As a matter of fact, the President has been losing sleep as some of their meetings take place at night. I wonder why the President hasn’t met with ASUU himself yet. I also wonder why a party issue involving a “microscopic few” is given much attention than the ASUU Strike that affects a “vast majority” of the populace. Indeed this goes a long way to show that the Federal Government cares less about Education in Nigeria. I also saw the sack of the former minister of Education Prof. RukkayatYakubu as a shock and a setback in resolving the ASUU issue. As if that was not enough, the President appointed Dr EzenwoNyesonWike as the substantive Minister of Education. Is it the same Wike who has made it clear that he has a 2015 governorship ambition and has been busy politicking and fighting Gov. RotimiAmaechithat the President feels will resolve the ASUU issue and transform the Education Sector? [I laugh in Spanish] Funny enough, the same day Wike was made Minister of Education, he went to Rivers state to campaign for Jonathan and receive a chieftaincy title. He sure has his priorities figured out already.

I strongly don’t believe the Federal Government is interested in improving the quality of education. After all it doesn’t generate any substantial revenue from the schools. The FG only pays attention to sectors of the economy where it gets large chunks of revenue like the oil sector. I really feel the reason why the government has allowed the education sector to suffer so much neglect is because the ruling class has all the money it needs to send its kids to any part of the world to study. How many of their kids are schooling here in Nigeria? Even the few that claim that their wards are schooling here in Nigeria are all in private schools. So they have little or no interest on what happens to the children of the masses. The same government will come outand boldly say that Nigerian graduates are not employable, that they are ‘half baked’. When you have a university with poor infrastructure and dilapidated equipment, what kind of graduates do you expect to produce? At the end of the day when their kids come back with degrees from around the world, they are most qualified for the top jobs so the power keeps going round in that cycle. For short, they want to hog power and make sure it doesn’t get to the masses. [Sad face]

Way to Go

Let’s pause a moment and try to think of any NUPENG or PENGASON strike that has been allowed to exceed one week… I can’t recall any. [Sad] I think it’s high time the leadership of ASUU sought the solidarity of both NUPENG and PENGASON so as to make the government feel the heat. I strongly believe that if ASUU is able to get the support of those other Unions, the FG will be left with no option than to respond swiftly to the Union’s plea. I really can’t wait for this strike to be over. I’ve enjoyed the luxury at home enough. I need to get back to school and work on assignments and projects. I’ve missed my friends and lecturers. FG please settle ASUU so we can go back to school.That’s where we should be now and not on the streets looking for what to do. Remember that “an idle mind is the devils workshop”. Don’t let us be used by evil doers to perpetrate their nefarious acts.