Opinion: It’s time for ASUU to call off this strike

by Tunde Falola

gej-asuuNotwithstanding ASUU’s recalcitrance at every turn of the tortuous negotiations, the Jonathan administration had been moderate and considerate, making far-reaching concessions.

After a marathon meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan penultimate week over a five-month- old strike that had kept Nigerian students in public universities out of school, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) fixed penultimate Tuesday for a meeting of its National Executive Committee (NEC) to review its action. Unfortunately, one of its past presidents, Professor Festus Iyayi, while on his way to the meeting was involved in a fatal motor accident that took his life. In his honour ASUU shelved the meeting till January, 2014, effectively extending the strike for another two months.

The death of Prof. Iyayi is unfortunate and it is only natural that ASUU should defer to the man who spent all his adult life serving humanity and our nation through his scholarly works and activism. Indeed the whole nation was pained by this unwarranted loss. “I join in mourning the renowned academic and award-winning writer who rose to national prominence in the 1980s with his courageous leadership of ASUU in its struggle for a better working environment for teachers and academics in the nation’s university system,” President Jonathan said in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, on the fallen academic.

But would this justify ASUU’s tactical extension of its strike for two more months in spite of all stakeholders’ deafening call for the reopening of our universities? The answer is definitely negative. Students have been idling around town for about five months at great financial and social costs to parents and the entire nation. The negative impact of this industrial action had been visible and direct, attracting widespread calls for its termination particularly when government had demonstrated enormous good faith towards the implementation of the 2009 agreement that ASUU had brought to contention.

Notwithstanding ASUU’s recalcitrance at every turn of the tortuous negotiations, the Jonathan administration had been moderate and considerate, making far-reaching concessions. It should be noted that only three of the nine demands at the table remain contentious and unresolved. And three levels of government have negotiated the issues with ASUU without success. First was the team led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and then the Vice President’s team; and when both failed the President, himself a teacher, was persuaded to intervene.

Mercifully, President Jonathan’s intervention moved the negotiation forward necessitating the ill-fated NEC meeting scheduled to review the concessions proposed by government. The negotiations were heavily hampered by ASUU’s rigid position that the 2009 agreement was not up for renegotiation but implementation.

The three outstanding issues relate to earned allowances; revitalisation of the universities; and composition of the Needs Assessment Committee. The earned allowances were put at N95 billion by ASUU. Government argued that it is the responsibility of universities to pay it from their internally generated revenue. But since the universities could not pay, it offered to pay on their behalf. It subsequently offered N30 billion and when this was rejected it moved it up to N40 billion. ASUU insisted on its demand for N95 billion.

ASUU posited that under the 2009 agreement and 2012 Memorandum of Understanding, government committed to provide N350 billion mobilisation and N400 billion annually to upgrade universities’ infrastructure to world class standards; and that any unutilised fund could not be mopped up by government. Government had a different understanding of the issue and denied any MoU, but said since it had become an issue it would pay N100 billion as mobilisation and grant N220 billion annually.

In making this concession government argued that the demand was unrealistic because government could not avoid it and that the universities lacked the capacity to utilise the N400 billion annually, adding that mopping up of unspent funds is a regulatory requirement of its fiscal policy. Overall, ASUU demanded N1.3 trillion as funding deficit and wanted it to be offset in three years, but government in spite of its reservations proposed a five-year disbursement plan.

The last contentious issue is the composition of the Needs Assessment Committee set up by the SGF to assess the needs of the universities and monitor the implementation of the 2009 agreement in line with the 2012 MoU. ASUU wanted to compose the committee to the exclusion of the government and therefore refused to recognise the Governor Gabriel Suswan-led committee which had already done extensive works on the infrastructural needs of the universities. Government, however, was disposed to a joint composition even when it did not recognise the existence of any MoU with ASUU.

These were the concessions that ASUU had proposed for the approval of the ill-fated NEC meeting. But before then, the union in keeping with its internal democratic structural requirement had conducted a referendum among its members in its branches, which returned an affirmation of the proposal to return to work. So, if the NEC had met, it was obvious that the strike would have been called off in line with the aspirations of majority of its members.

Although the circumstances of the postponement of the NEC meeting are quite understandable, the length of adjournment is certainly unjustifiable having regards to its overall negative impact on the university education system.

Postponing the meeting till January is a circuitous way of circumventing the wishes of its members. And it gives credence to the suggestion in several quarters that the strike has left the realm of an industrial dispute over the future of our university education system and forayed into the murky waters of politics. This should not be so. ASUU should listen to the voice of the students, their parents and other Nigerians who want the citadels of learning reopened for what they were built for: academic pursuit.

 

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Read this article in the Leadership Newspapers

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

Comments (3)

  1. ASUU Strike; Justified and Needful.
    I am a lecturer as well as a student (PhD). I am writing my reviews as regards the 4.5 month old strike from both standpoints (i.e. as a student and Lecturer).
    As a lecturer, I have grown tired of sitting at home; it’s quite boring even though I have been doing some writings, since I need to publish papers to promote. Much more than being tired of sitting idle, I am also becoming broke since government has not paid me since August due to its No Work No Pay strategy of frustrating striking workers. As a student, my programme is running since the school I am running it does not join ASUU strikes. This means that I need lots of fund for my research so I can be ready for my next presentation. Due to these reasons, if there is anybody who wants the strike called off then the person is me.
    I have read different people’s opinions since ASUU embarked on this strike; students, parents, academics and other stake holders have all aired their views. I have even read different reports on governments commitments and claims. It’s annoying however how people have resorted to making derogatory statements especially about ASUU when they are not privy to important information that has informed ASUU’s decision to hang onto their resolve.
    I got a mail today from YNaija about the ongoing strike. It was titled “ASUU, you are irresponsible”. Some of those who aired their opinions think ASUU is insensitive and does not have the interest of Nigeria at heart, one said God punish ASUU and FG, one even said ASUU is a tone-deaf union and predicted an end for ASUU where she will lose popularity with the people and eventually become a toothless bulldog. Well, everyone is entitled to his opinion and also free to express them.
    In my opinion, I think ASUU is the most responsible union Nigeria can boast of. It is a union that has the good of this nation at heart, a union that is built on service to humanity rather than on self aggrandizement. Have you not asked yourself why Prof Festus Iyayi did not travel by air to Kano for the ASUU NEC meeting? It is because it’s against ASUU rules to fly when most Nigerians cannot afford it. He could afford it, but he denied himself as he always did all because he wanted to identitify with the poor and suffering Nigerians. It is unfortunate he was sacrificed in this struggle. That is how far ASUU goes to serve the people.
    Some are of the opinion the ASUU is selfish and greedy. It is unfortunate that government has successfully painted ASUU bad to the people of Nigeria. They have made people believe they are the angel while ASUU is the devil. An agreement was reached in 2009 between ASUU and the FGN. 4 years is gone and the government has refused to implement the said agreement, an action that culminated in this strike, now who is the devil?
    87 billion naira has been demanded as arrears the government owes (2009-2013) not just ASUU but all workers of 52 Federal Universities (I stand to be corrected). This requested amount has been worked for, so why will the FGN not pay. Let’s do some little calculations. The University I work has about 5000 staff. Being a second generation university, some Universities have bigger staff strength will some lower. However, I will estimate the number of Federal University workers at about 180,000 (although not all deserve payment especially those without additional responsibilities or excess workload). If you divide 87 billion by 180,000, it gives about 483,000 per person as arrears of work done for a period of 4 years. I honestly don’t think this is too much, considering that as an academic, you use your salaries to fund your development (masters, PhD, PGDE, post doctoral, conferences e.t.c), you use your own monies to research and thereafter publish papers so you can be promoted, you use your money for community service/development because it is a criterion to get to the peak of the academic career.
    As close as South Africa is, lecturers have grants for their research that their students can access (a lot of Nigerians have benefited from this), when they publish their research findings, they are paid by the government but the Nigerian government prefers to spend lavishly on cars, travels and other wasteful activities for their own personal pleasure and aggrandizements.
    ASUU wants more than an improvement of her welfare package. ASUU wants the government to commit to the development of tertiary education in Nigeria. As a student, are you happy with your experiences in the laboratories and libraries? Do you enjoy having to pay through your noses for research and experiments? Are hostel accommodations affordable and in the best conditions? Is there an effective and affordable transport system for students living off our campuses? If you answer NO to any of these questions, then you are probably not studying under the best of conditions. Things can get better, you can graduate with better grades and employable if the learning conditions are favourable.
    These are the concerns of ASUU. The struggle continues until we see things are done right in this country. Expect a more radical reaction to the killing of Festus Iyayi. He was the sacrificial lamb and his death must not be a waste. ASUU must begin to sponsor bills in the National Assemblies to legislate against the use of sirens by politicians and others who instead of serving the people are feeding fat on tax payers’ money and have turned themselves into demigods who cannot share the road with others or join the queue like other law-abiding citizens. Bills must be sponsored against the use of convoys of expensive and sometimes armored cars by low self-esteemed politicians who derive their confidence from cars. Bills must be sponsored to check the extravagant funding of government in Nigeria while tax payers languish in penury.
    Students, parents and stake holders, this fight is not just for today but to secure the future of our youths and children unborn. Do not forget that he who runs away from battle lives to battle another day. ASUU is resolute to achieve results by this strike not after sacrificing one of her foremost comrades. Support ASUU for there is no other union better in the Nigeria of today.

  2. ASUU is playing politics with the destiny of millions of Nigerian youths

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