23rd December 2020.
casoglobe.edu@gmail.com
The Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU has suspended her novelty strike of Nine (9) months. The major argument of the union was that government has for long neglected the university system and so the academic staff were ready to stay away from the classroom until the Nigeria government implement a United Nations’ policy that compel countries to appropriate 23% of their budget on education.
They also rejected the profligacy of government on political office holders. In their major line of argument, a senator is paid an equivalent of what 100 professors earn.
Therefore, they wanted an equal remuneration or in essence a better one. They equally leverage on the believe that the senators were once taught by them.
According to them, the IPPIS, a payment application that was introduced by the federal government with the aim of injecting transparency, integrity and accountability into the university system but which was rejected by the union was only a minor issue. The real thing according to them is the welfare of students, the quality of education parents deserved, the future of the university system in Nigeria amongst others. They set the war against the government. They mobilized their members and ordered them to stay away from what they themselves ab initio freely applied for – teaching, researching and community service. They promised not to return to campus until these issues were properly, adequately and manifestly addressed.
They said they won’t listen to the plea of students that they were only after graduation. They also warned that they won’t also fall prey to the propaganda of government. They appealed to the parents that they should be patient that they were doing this for the sake of tommorow’s future. Some pessimists and critics of ASUU giving their history of strike actions said the union were taking advantage of Covid 19 lockdown. But months after FG opened all space, the strike continued. The upheaval of EndSars protest also came up. Lives were lost, injured and displaced. Pundits observed that the uprising was connected with the ASUU strike. To avoid a resurgence, they recommended that the university should be open for academic activities immediately. This did not moved the union.
Bamidele Ajao was always on TV. Azeem Salako spoke on Arise TV. Ngige is a regular face on channels TV. Instead of making a consensus. The divergence remain unabated. No retreat No surrender was what ASUU chants day and night. ASUU claimed to be the only one that have a stake, understands, and care better for education in Nigeria. Others, notwithstanding their status, and exposure are mere neophytes, bystanders and ignorant. They asked everyone to leave them if they cannot support their patriotic ambition. In fact, they were not desperate of anyone’s support. For them, they have predetermined their victory against a feeble and impending lethargic government. Pronto, everyone – students, parents and onlookers stayed clearly away and they all reverted back to fate and faith – that one day, they will resume again. No one cares about the ASUU news any longer. No to their calming down again they said. Thus, the strike continued unabated.
Surreptitiously, like the expected coming of Jesus, a news broke on the 23rd of December 2020. ASUU strike is hereby suspended. The suspension of strike is the linguistic style of ASUU. They usually push it to another six months interval. But giving the magnitude, protraction, intensity, promises, and fecundity of this current strike, It MUST be an end to the bad rubbish in the Nigeria university system.
However, what was seemingly new is the conditionality that accompanied the announcement. Well, what is close is that perhaps the implementation of what took them out of the classroom is almost done. For those who have stayed away from their campuses must now be agog in euphoria and anxiety to see their school that must have been turned into a five star.
The federal government with humongous intervention have now renovated the laboratories, hostels, and classrooms to a five star standard – almost completed.
They have considered and approved the increase in the salaries, allowances and research grants of lecturers.
These are the conditions that if not met – as in handed over/seen to have been implemented, will take the lecturers again out of their duty.
But surprisingly. Non of the above listed conditions is featured in the recent release of ASUU as its condition to renege her decision. The two key conditions are;
1. Payment of their full salary. The one they refuse to work for.
2. Payment of their salary through UTAS? The one that compels employer on how to pay the salaries of his own employees he freely employed.
So, which among these conditions addresses the welfare of students, physical infrastructure of the universities? Is there any of the conditions that examine the future of the Nigeria university vis a vis the nation’s educational development? In all of these, government moves on with its rickety handling of the university. The lecturers gets full payment of salary without running cost. The victims of this contraption remain the students, their parents and the education sector. In six months time, the campus will be locked down again if ASUU is not comfortable with the government. It is the ritual and convention of the Nigeria university. Pathetic!
Azeem Oladimeji Salako is a political scientist and Director at Caso Metropolitan College Ibadan
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