Breaking News: ASUU finally speaks up on the Verdict of the Ongoing Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities and Federal Government endless agreements or disagreements have raised their ugly head again. The Universities gates have been shuttered and the students have once again been let down.

This is not the first time the government and ASUU would be consigning Nigerian Students to unnecessary idleness. It is ironic that the only means ASUU finds befitting to press home its demands is to delay and disrupt the dream of the students it is grooming for greatness.

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In the middle: ASUU President, Dr. Biodun Ogunyemi at the Union's meeting on Saturday, August 12, 2017.

 (Channels)

It is also pathetic that the government does not seem to understand any language except industrial action. The Nigerian Government seems to enjoy seeing the lecturers lose their tempers and the sight of students roaming the streets aimlessly like academic orphans.

Lecturers strike in Nigeria is a vicious cycle. It keeps coming and going like abiku as the government for so many years has refused to sufficiently answer ASUU demands.

The ASUU demands is the main reason the Universities are shut again and Nigerians have been asking what exactly are the unions’ demands that Federal government have not been able to fulfill in 10 years.

The union and the government have been at loggerheads these demands the union claims would ameliorate the education system in Nigeria.

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Oby Ezekwesili

 (Information.ng)

It all started in 2006 when the then Minister of Education, Mrs. Obi Ezekwesili on behalf of the FG inaugurated the FGN/ASUU re-negotiation committee to identify and look into the rot in the university system.

However, the bone of contention dated back to 2009, when the government agreed to ASUU demands which till today remain unfulfilled.

Summarily, the demands of ASUU in 2009 agreement are basically predicated on three requests, which are : Conditions of service, Funding and University autonomy.

Each of these requests covers a lot of things and this space won't be enough to capture everything therein. So, this write-up will only look at the seemingly most important ASUU demands- Conditions of Service.

ALSO READ: Labour Union declares supports for ASUU strike

The conditions of service bothers on salary structure, allowances and grants. It also covers non-salary conditions of service such as leave, pension and loans.

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Lagos State University

 (The Guardian Nigeria)

For instance, for responsibility allowance which is meant to be paid annually, it was agreed that  Deputy Vice-Chancellor/Librarian  would be paid N750,000,  N500,000 for Provost/Dean/Director, N350,000 for Deputy/Vice/Associate Dean or Provost, N250,000 for Head of Dept./Sub Dean, N150,000 for Fac./Dept Exam Officer, N150,000 for Hall Warden and N150,000 for all other Officers.

For External Assessment of Readers or Professors, it was agreed that external assessors shall be paid a minimum allowance of N200,000 per assessment for the position of Reader or Professor.

It was also agreed that certain amount on an hourly basis would be paid to entitled academic staff as excessive workload allowance.

While the non-salary conditions of service cover loans and leaves such as vehicle Loan/Car Refurbishing Loan, Housing Loan, Research Leave, Sabbatical Leave, Annual leave, Sick leave, Maternity Leave, Injury Pension, Staff Schools and Provision of Office Accommodation.

These and many other conditions formed the pacts the FG agreed to fulfil in 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement.

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UNILAG Gate

 (Ngscholars)

However, eight years after, the promise and fail attitude of the federal government has forced the union to down tool again as the union members are bent on making sure the universities gates remain shuttered till their demands are met.

Meanwhile, in a bid to appease the union to suspend the ongoing strike, the FG invited the union leaders to the roundtable but their discussions led to nowhere.

But while the government is begging ASUU to call off the strike, there are arguments in some quarters on the timing of ASUU's agitation.

Some Nigerians on the side of the government are questioning the reasons why ASUU would decide to ask for the implementation of the agreement when the country is in a dire economic situation.

The country right now is crawling on borrowed limbs as the government continues to borrow to pay salaries.

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ASUU president, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi

Corroborating this assertion, an economist and lecturer at the University of Lagos, Dr Victor Ojapinwa charged ASUU to wake up to the economic realities of the country rather than going on strike when the nation needs its input on the state of its economy.

"One of the major problems we are having today is the economic problem and if we are having this problem, it is similar to the problem for one is the problem for all. ASUU must not stand aloof and say the problem is government's. You are aware that many states in this country are unable to pay their workers salary. You also aware that government is borrowing every day and night to make sure it meets recurrent expenditure.  So, if we agree that these identified problems really exist then, we should sit and find a solution on how to come out of this problem."

On the other side, the argument about recession and lack of funds to execute certain project is not tenable for the defence of government' failure to implement FGN/ASUU agreement.

It was argued that  the agreement had been made even before the country was plunged into recession but the government did not think it wise to implement the agreement when it had enough to do so.

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Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu

 (Thisdaylive.com)

The Publicity Secretary of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, Bauchi Chapter, Emmanuel Odumegwu, who commented on the ASUU strike blamed the government for not being truthful about the agreement it signed with the union.

He said, "If actually at the point of negotiation they feel they won't be able to fulfil, they should have found a way to pacify the union members and show them they are committed, not having an agreement with them first and then show no commitment."

Whether the timing for ASUU’s strike to demand the implementation of the agreement they had with government is right or wrong, the government should take the L in this matter and find a lasting solution to the vicious cycle, not only to please the union but to also save the academic dreams of the poor Nigerians who can not afford to study abroad.