by Titiladunayo, Daniel ‘Damilola
I rest my pen by giving credence to the Yoruba adage that says “ebe lanbe osika” which roughly means “na beg we dey beg the wicked” meaning we raise the alter of pleas to appease the wicked
Uproar in the middle-east, crisis in Egypt, political instability in Nigeria, economic catastrophe in the United State and terrorist attack all over the world. In the midst of this crisis, the continuous existence of a service-providing company suffers amassed threat; despite its wealth, it can’t meet the ever-increasing demand of its staff. Members of staff rise in arms and ammunition, making pronouncement of war, destroying the physical assets of the company violently, in spite of plea from several quarters including the tears of the customers, the staff refute vehemently the need to return to their work without implementation of their demand. The staff is the Academic Staff Union of Universities fondly called ASUU, the company is the Federal Government and obviously the consumers are the students. As the moon paves way for the sun to shine, the tick of the clock turns into days, the cock crow announces the birth of another day and the moon heralds the arrival of a new month, the hope that the lingering lacuna in the academic calendar, caused by academic staff union of universities, would end soon fades away at the appearance of every twilight and arrival of network news. Politicians send their wards abroad to study, our lectures travel around the globe to lecture since they have both successfully paralyzed university education in Nigeria, some have faced their career and the rest have faced their business and family while the life and time of some of the country’s future rust at home (since they have finally resolved to occupying social media ranging from Twitter to Facebook and to Instagram), Our leaders are considering the economy and the rationality behind ASUU’s request, ASUU keeps inviting “deadlock” to meetings because their selfish interest has not been met and the students fold arms in their respective houses watching this folks play hide and seek with our destinies as the pride of our education becomes imperiled by political warlords.
Going through ASUU’s antecedents, in the 1980s against the military regime, the ASUU was proscribed on August 7, 1988 and all properties seized. It was allowed to resume in 1990, but after another strike was again banned on August 23, 1992. However, an agreement was reached on September 3, 1992 that met several of the Union’s demands including the right of workers to collectively bargain. The ASUU organized further strikes in 1994 and 1996, protesting against the dismissal of staff by the General Sani Abacha military regime. In 2007, the ASUU went on strike for three months, In May 2008, the ASUU held two one-week ‘warning strikes’ to press an array of demands, including an improved salary scheme and reinstatement of 49 lecturers who were dismissed many years ago. In June 2009, the ASUU ordered its members in federal and state Universities nationwide to proceed on an indefinite strike over disagreements with the Federal Government on an agreement it reached with the Union years ago. After three months of strikes, in October 2009 the ASUU and other staff Unions signed a memorandum of understanding with the government Isn’t it high time we positioned an end to this incessant festival?, Calling a spade its real name, ASUU would be gloomy and abysmal to know that their demands can’t be met in a year or by a single administration, sounds cynical or mythical I guess?. Their demands are;
- Funding requirements for Revitalisation of Nigerian Universities
- Federal government Assistance to State Universities
- Establishment of NUPEMCO
- Progressive increase in annual budgetary allocation to education to 26% between 2009 and 2020
- Earned Allowances
- Amendment of the pension/retirement age of academics on the professional cadre from 65 to 70 years
- Reinstatement of prematurely dissolved Governing Councils
- Transfer of Federal Government landed property to Universities
- Setting up of Research Development Council and provision of Research equipments to laboratories and classrooms in our Universities.
ASUU portrayed their demand and technically sold it out as though it is to savage the education sector, but questions like; why didn’t other education Union like SSANU, ASUP, NUT et al join them, why did they suspend the 109 day old strike in 2009 after the approval of request 6 and 7, even in the face of increasing unemployment, isn’t this selfish?, still remains unanswered. If a state claims they can’t fund their University then let them put up the shutters. X-raying the annual budgetary allocation to education, it is apparent that it has being on the increase and we are seven years away from 2020, if by the set time the budgetary allocation to education sector doesn’t meet the target then Unions in the sector can embark on an industrial action by 2021. Federal government allegedly approved 400 billion naira to attend to the last demand and will be experienced within the next four years in our institutions this we hope would stop Nigerian universities from churning out half-baked graduates, however, it becomes conspicuous that we have the controversial 87billion naira and the request for transfer of “Federal government” landed property left unresolved. Transfer of Federal government landed property to Universities directly or indirectly translates to the fact that Vice Chancellor’s lodge can be purchased by someone and rented out to subsequent Vice-Chancellors, trickily; institutions’ property can be purchased in the name of public-private partnership and cornered into personal asset. If federal government had approved the 87billion naira before the 400billion naira probably students would have resumed to their duty post and peaceful waters would have flowed through our institutions. Undoubtedly, teachers’ belief in the maxim “the reward of a teacher is in heaven” is why the Nigerian Union of Teachers has chosen not to demand for increase in payment despite their more herculean task. It is no news that our legislators earn ostentatiously but our lecturers too earn considerably well, rather than fighting for equality why not request for a slash, which is more intellectual, in legislators earning, why not demand for a severe punishment to corrupt office holders, why not orchestrate a machinery to curb the corruption in the country? Nigeria is wasteful but we shouldn’t aid the process. Corruption has eaten deep into the flesh of our economy under the close watch of governance under the Peoples’ Democratic Party but we should appreciate the new-born All Progressive Congress for politicizing the issue rather than deciphering what seems to be a mystery as State institutions in those region suffer the same fate
Isn’t it time we prostrated to beg our lecturers to return to classrooms, isn’t it due for those sitting on the magnificent chair placed on the highest tier of government to pin their ears back, are we not supposed to raise the alter of plea to these guerrilla leaders to consider the students at home? I join my echo with echoes of others to beg the “commanders” to end this ‘unfavourable’ industrial action. ASUU should consider better alternatives than using students’ time to channel their demands, the federal government shouldn’t wait till things degenerate to pugnacity before they act. The masses do not have right to security, they do not have right to stable power supply, they lack the right to basic amenities and you have deprived them of their rights to education. I rest my pen by giving credence to the Yoruba adage that says “ebe lanbe osika” which roughly means “na beg we dey beg the wicked” meaning we raise the altar of pleas to appease the wicked and let all leaders note the quote of Jack Welch that “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others” and not just members of your union.
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Titiladunayo, Daniel ‘Damilola is the President, Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ), University of Ibadan.
Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.
A stitch in time saves nine. These analitic series of past strikes show that d FG has failed 2 apply d stitch when it was due,besides,if u know d caliber of senators,gdfathers & leaders in this Niger;u wouldn’t have written this…so, who is 2 blame FG or ASUU?
You are thoughtful and logical,but the FG have the money to meet these needs and also you are not an academia that is why you are supporting the FG failure
Hmmm . . . ? all your story is correct, but who should we blame ? because i understand the problem. a student who surpose to use 5yr for using 7-8yrs that’s why our university did not have internation, I. U Came 78 postion. of all the professor’s they have. why can’t nigeria lecture’s have other means of getting what they want from govt apart of strike. Hmmm . . . ?
it is a perpetual complexity betw d FGN and their playmate ASUU,in d sense dat the FGN are jst being obstinate and vaguely intellected abt d state of evry student’s shutdown 4rm d schl…it is more or less a peekaboo btw d 2 bodies,cox deep down d abyss of negotiation,settling and posibl kick-backs wil take place sooner..then who bear d lose,if nt d innocent and hoping students….i wont blame d Politicians cox av always described them as ”epilepthic patients who are myopic to common men’s dispositions”….In a nutshell.,im pleading to who give-in first to do it whilst time is stil friendly.
Nyc write up! But my sister u're takin side and which is uncalled for. Please only d truth shall set you free… Infact are you sure you are not sponsored? Because you are insulting a profession which one day eventually you, your father, brother, uncle mother or even your husband would venture intpo and you will be fed with! Please call spade a spade, and let's pray for our dear country. ASUU and the students have not been given an atmospher conducive for learning, what do u expect? If a hostel is built from the ASUU demand, will any lecturer sleep inside. Think before you talk… Sponsored writer
Asuu!!!!u fools greedy idots,y u guys looking @ politicans money..after all u lecturers sleep with ur student for grades and collect money.don’t worry!!!let’s c who go tire FG and asuu…..Foolssss asuuu bastards
Your write up was beautiful…as far as am concerned ASUU demands are unrealistic,and they should stop claiming they are out to better the educational system,if they are paid allowances would it make them to take their lectures when due, would it stop them from taking bribe in exchange for grades, rather than encourage students to work hard, would it make them update their lecture notes, because these are the things eating up the educational system and also the cause of the production of half baked graduates.if you are lecturer and u want to earn like a politician, please quit lecturing and join politics,if there are any people that should request for allowance, it should be teachers and doctors.FG should help us also, we know their children are abroad and they dont care, but pls they should try to consider.
my earnest prayer is 2 see all d said members of asuu nd all d political heads responsible 4 dis catastrophe beheadn our education in nigeria boundld by BOKO HARAM in one of dia meetn nd bombd 2 ashes.. i trust my God n i kw wat he can do..i rep ebsu
Thanks to our mother Mrs Titi. Thanks for your concern. May your children find favor. I put up my pen to write. Government we have suffer enough. Come to think it, why must we suffer unnecessarily? Why must you play with our dear life? Why must you play with the future of our nation? You call yourself a friend of this wonderful nation, but thats not the case. Our dear destinies is astake, yet you sit down there watching us dying. Asuu, must you use us as a tools in other to meet your desire? If indeed you are fighting for us, i beg you in the name of God to call off the strike. Consider us and settle the issue. Of a truth, this strike is making me sick. If this persist, who can tell what may possibly happen to us as a student. Please heaken to the plea of the government and settle the case amicably. Asuu, stop using us as tools for demand.
Wit utmost apreciation and delight, I mst complement you for your write up by saying ‘ kudos mehn’. But I would loved u butttess your blame on the FG. About 80% of your blame supose to be directed to FG and not asuu because dey are indeed fight for a due course for the benefit of nigerian student so dat the lingering strike can be forestal once and for all instead of revolving round FG deceit called memorandum of undastanding wch always in one way or the other opens room for negotiation every year instead of ‘ implementation’.
Abeg buzz off joor, wetin u dey say wey person no dey hear. take a deep luk at what is apning around u b4 u rant, is this government a worthy 1? NO. this is most destructive government nigeria ever had. so I adjure Asuu, to keep on. and u shut upppp
Nice write up….The FG and ASUU knw where they re goin,they re just wastin our time. 70% of the blames should go for FG,cos they re wastin much money on unneccessary things,what of embezzlement.. Hardly u could see their children in public university. Even in nigeria at large. God should just deliver nigerian students from them. We av future and our destinies cn’t be change.cos. It is only Heisenberg that has uncertainty principle but GOD has certainty principle.. Our glories is certain.no mater the place the ASUU and FG take education to…the question that we should ask ourself now is that.. If FG should appoved all ASUU demands,we students goin to enjoy it? Cos, in nigeria,our leaders av selfish interest.
Nice write up….The FG and ASUU knw where they re goin,they re just wastin our time. 70% of the blames should go for FG,cos they re wastin much money on unneccessary things,what of embezzlement.. Hardly u could see their children in public university. Even in nigeria at large. God should just deliver nigerian students from them. We av future and our destinies cn’t be change.cos. It is only Heisenberg that has uncertainty principle but GOD has certainty principle.. Our glories is certain.no mater the place the ASUU and FG take education to.
Please solve dese: If it took 109 days of strike by ASUU to win 2 out of 9 demands (items 6 and 7 which added nothing useful to Nigerian Students), how many days will it take ASUU to win the remaining 7 demands (few of which are more reasonable than 6 and 7). You can convert your answers in hours.
: if it takes 5+x years to study Agriculture in Federal Universities cos of ASUU strike, find x, where x is a positive integer and ASUU strike is TOTAL, COMPREHENSIVE and INDEFINATE.
Asuu members are nt being realistic with their demand,the governmentt should flush them completely out of the system and take in Fresh workers or if they ar retained increase their income tax.let them the work tru their noses for the salary they earn. infact Most of the asuu members ar criminals in their various universities,they dnt come to teach wen due,they sell watery handouts to students collect bribes etc God punish Asuu for ruining the education of nigeria,May hot molten magma fall on the head of their leader.I pray that fed govt realises dat Asuu must be dessolved for Nigeria to move forward.God save Nigeria,God bless Nigeria.
@ Blackey I’m assuming you didn’t read the write up properly because from what I see,we aren’t blaming only ASUU but is strike the only solution to their problems. Must they waste the lives of students to prove their point while the FG that we are fighting are training their children abroad or private universities. This children come back and hold higher positions in companies where we are supposed to work and even become senators that later rule us. While we are here sitting down and hoping they will come to an agreement. I am proudly Nigerian and I’m sick and tired of the frequent strikes. Not because it doesn’t produce results but because of the effect it is having on we students. I call to all Nigerian students,if we can’t take to the streets,let’s do what we know how to do best. Use you social medias and retweet this,send it as your BCs,Update your FB pages. Let’s make media noise till we are heard. Enough is enough. I rep UNIBEN.
Wat a nice write up hope u didn’t forget dat lecturers are oda peoples parents also and d amount been agitated for is not comparable to wat our political leaders embezzle and d breakdown analysis of how much will get to a lecturer of d allowance is just about 12k monthly.please hammer on d need for FG’s ability to honour an agreement been entered into by it freely. Let ASUU fight dis once and for all.
Well i must confess the federal government also has its own portion of the blame! Please let’s go back to school we are begging tears!