Except appropriate steps are taken by the Federal Government to avert the impending Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, the universities may be plunged into another round of industrial action. Feelers indicate that ASUU is restless and issuing strike warnings to government. Nigeria’s universities are notorious for strikes. The system has been battered by frequent strikes that have rendered it unproductive. Government should should take the warnings serious and ensure that the strike is averted by meeting ASUU and resolving the issues without delay.
Reports indicate that ASUU is inching close to embarking on another strike following the collapse of conciliatory grounds between it and the Federal Government. While ASUU is warming up for a strike, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) issued a 21 day ultimatum to the Federal Government, to address outstanding issues affecting its members or risk a nationwide strike. The ultimatum was released at the end of its 77th general executive council meeting held in Kano.
The association listed its grudges to include release of the new schemes and conditions of service, constitution of a committee to renegotiate the 2010 agreement, non-release of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 Needs Assessment Funds; payment of arrears, including promotion arrears, 25/35 per cent salary review arrears, wage awards and full implementation of the new minimum wage.
In the case of ASUU, to the chagrin of Nigerians, the Federal Government reportedly denied signing any agreement with ASUU, saying that the long-pending renegotiated agreement with the union is only a draft.
Minister of education Dr. Tunji Alausu, who disclosed this while briefing journalists in Abuja said that a seven man committee, chaired by the permanent secretary of the ministry, had been set up to present the government’s counter proposal to the union.
Said he, “Once we finalize our own proposal to ASUU, we will give a counter-proposal to the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed committee to take to ASUU. And ASUU would deliberate and come back to us. We will work assiduously, as quickly as possible to get an agreement with ASUU.”
The Minister emphasized that ‘Government has never signed any agreement with ASUU. The 2021 agreement was not executed by the government! He said ASUU might have the impression that they have an agreement with government. There was no signed agreement with government.”
Without mincing words, what the Minister said is shocking. To hear that ASUU has never signed any agreement with government presents a fresh dimension to the whole saga of ASUU”s battle with government. Over the years, ASUU had been anchoring its strikes on the failure of government to honour its agreement with it. Could all that be a mirage, a figment of imagination?
The Minister said that there has never been a signed agreement between governments and ASUU. Could that be true? If it is true, then what has ASUU been fighting for?
Is it possible that ASUU has been playing the fool to the extent of being deceived to take a draft paper is an agreement without signature? That is to say ASUU has no solid ground to embark on any strike! Therefore, the union is at the mercy og government.
If ASUU has no ‘locus standi’ as the Minister claimed, that would trigger tension and prepare the ground for another round of nationwide industrial action in the universities, except consensus is reached quickly. Nevertheless, some believe that the decision to set up a fresh committee to work out a counter proposal offers a genuine opportunity to resolve lingering issues and establish a more transparent framework for engagement with ASUU.
As if to give credence to the Minister’s denial, ASUU has reportedly stated that it was never part of a meeting with the Federal Government to finally conclude discussion on the 2009 agreement. There is indication from government that ASUU was officially invited to a meeting between it and the Ministry of Education which the union did not honour.
But talking in an interview with journalists, ASUU President Prof. Chris Piwuna insisted that no formal invitation was sent to the union. “We are not part of the meeting because it’s their meeting.
“Why should we be part of the meeting? When we do our own meeting, we don’t invite them. This is their own meeting. We don’t even know the agenda, but we suspect it’s about our issue. We’re not part of the meeting, so there’s no need to even send an invitation to us.”
That is the position of ASUU underscoring a potential deadlock. It is the kind of hard line posture on either side that triggers downing of tools for an industrial action. ASUU and government should strive to strike a deal in the interest of industrial peace and harmony. The system cannot afford to suffer another round of trauma from another round of avoidable strike.
It is disgusting that after years of disruptive ASUU strikes that have dislocated academic programmes in the universities, the problems are still unending. Rather than improving, things have worsened in the universities. Academic endeavour is at its lowest ebb. Lecture halls are overcrowded. The libraries are empty. Laboratories are a shadow of what they used to be the past. The quality of lectures is low. Lectures have been reduced to handouts used by lecturers to extort the students and make money. The general infrastructure is poor. The campuses have no water and light. Conveniences are lacking. In some campuses, students bring their own mattresses, which they use to sleep on the floor. There is no cafeteria. Students practically scavenge for food.
The nonchalant attitude of past administrations and disdain for university teachers is at the root of the crises in the university system. Although the Obasanjo administration raised the remuneration of the lecturers, the high inflation in the country has wiped out whatever benefit accrued from the increase, hence, the demand for a salary review. The same administration was so callous to allow the universities lose one full academic year to strike. That distorted the academic calendar that has not corrected till date.
Presently, the academic calendar remains disjointed. While some universities will be in the first semester, others will be in the third, battling with final exams for the academic year. There is no order, no uniformity in the universities any more. Each university runs its own calendar depending on how much it was affected by the previous ASUU-government prolonged strikes. The private universities are running a completely different calendar from the public universities. There is no longer academic calendar in the universities, because it is not followed due to frequent strikes.
Despite the appalling state of the universities, tension is rising. The veteran ASUU remains a hard nut to crack. At the same time, government remains obdurate, unwilling to yield to ASUU demands. The battle line has been drawn for another show down that puts the system in jeopardy. The clock is ticking to zero hour. ASUU demands are being presented.
At a press conference at Bayero University, Kano, the ASUU Zonal Coordinator, Prof Abdulkadir Muhammad, disclosed that ASUU has rejected the new Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), by raising concern over the guarantor requirement for members.
Instead, ASUU is demanding immediate settlement of its outstanding entitlements, including 3.5 months of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, arrears of 25/35 per cent arising from salary consequential adjustment and improved condition of service from the government and not from any loan
The Federal Government introduced TISSF N10 million interest-free loan scheme for academic and non-academic staff in the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. The initiative is aimed at improving staff welfare and ensuring financial stability.
Prof. Abdulkadir Muhammad said that after “thorough deliberation, ASUU resolved to distance itself from the charade. ASUU did not accept a situation where its members will get introduction letter from its leadership to access the loan.
Whatever be the case, government should strive to resolve the contentious issues. ASUU cannot afford to close the universities once again. Strikes have taken a toll on the university system in Nigeria. Enough is enough.
Dr. Onyekakeyah, a former member of The Guardian Editorial Board, is a public affairs commentator and a Daily Query columnist.
