26 June 2009
editorial
Lagos — The seeming indifference of the Federal Government to the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which led to the recent declaration of 'total and indefinite strike' by the union, is another demonstration of insensitivity by government to the condition of the education sector particularly and the plight of Nigerians generally, which should be condemned.
The nationwide strike by ASUU which commenced on Monday through a declaration by the union's president, Prof Ukachukwu Awuzie, after the meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC), at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), was as a result of the failure of government to sign and implement the agreement reached between the government's team led by Mr. Gamaliel Onosode and the Union. ASUU had embarked on a two-week warning strike, which ended on May 31, as part of its efforts to force government to accede to its demands, which had been on the table since 2001.
We cannot understand why government has refused to sign an agreement which it was party to. The demands of the Union are clearly legitimate and we believe that these demands, if met, would transform the nation's university system for good. The money that goes into the frivolous and excessive spending of politicians can be better chanelled into the implementation of the provisions of the agreement. It is, therefore, puzzling that this unnecessary impasse is being allowed to continue at a time that we have former university lecturers, Dr. Sam Egwu, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, and Umaru Yar'Adua as education minister, Vice President and President, respectively.
This level of insensitivity is unexpected of a government that has set a target of achieving economic development as enunciated in Vision 20-2020 which will largely depend on quality manpower, for its actualization. With less than 11 years to go to the year 2020, government's disagreement with ASUU portrays it as lacking the will to achieve that goal.
It is quite unfortunate that government decided to indirectly encourage the strike action by its failure to respond to the demands of ASUU, knowing full well that the implications of such will be further devastation of the education system which is still struggling to regain form after a similar exercise in 2001. There is no doubt that this face-off will soon snowball into serious social problems as students will now be out on the streets. As it is said, an idle hand is the devil's workshop. So it wont be surprising if the boys get involved in kidnapping, armed robbery and other social vices. More of the girls are also likely to take to prostitution and soon we will be faced with the challenge of having an education system more of whose graduates will be rejected by companies and other universities especially those abroad.
This crisis indeed, is coming at a time when certificates from our universities are no longer being respected in the labour market, both locally and internationally and the situation is likely to get worse with the current strike action. In a very recent rating, no university in Nigeria was named among the 100 leading higher institutions of learning in the world.
Government should not have allowed the face-off to degenerate to this level when there were opportunities for dialogue to avoid the present problem. This is a reflection of the way government has continued to treat labour-related issues in the past. Nurses and members of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) just called off their strike after days of untold hardship and pains had been inflicted on the people. The Non-Academic Staff of Universities (NASU) are presently also on strike.
It is hard to believe that the situation is the handiwork of the political opposition. Even if opposition is at work to undermine the government, this can be countered by government honouring its own side of the bargain on every issue before it.
The Education Minister should, therefore, ensure that the Federal Government not only signs the agreement but also begins its implementation in earnest in order to gain the confidence of the academic community.
ASUU and its officials are not far removed from the realities of the hour given the impact of the global financial meltdown on the economies of nations of the world, including Nigeria. Therefore, certain financial obligations in the agreement may not be feasible any more. Government should have painstakingly explained this to ASUU in the language that its members would understand.
We urge ASUU not to rebuff government but to embrace dialogue to find a way forward for the sector, including re-negotiation. Between December last year, when the agreement was reached and now, a lot has happened within the economy. There had, for instance, been considerable fall in the price of petroleum in the international market and a reduction in government's revenue earnings. This may have informed the cold feet government developed towards the agreement.
While we strongly call on government to do what it must do to save the education sector, we urge ASUU to end the current logjam, to give room for normal academic activities to resume in the Ivory towers.
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The question i would love to ask the Government is how many of them, are there children attending Nigerian University? Cos if they are our University would have grown higher than it is now.
To whom it may concern
Please, this strike is affecting our educational chemistry seriously, Government should try and help us so that we can be good graduates so that we can be good graduates to help Nigeria in future. For the betterment of Nigeria.
The more you stay at home doing nothing, the more useless you are because all sort of evil will flow into our minds. Please help us!
The government should try and do something about this strike by signing whatever ASUU demands. They should know that the students are the future tommorow. They should know that without students there is no future government. And our economic strategies will be in junks
i wish i woke up one day and find these country wiped away like that in the days of Noah, i don't believe those in nigerian politics or affairs have any positive to offer to their own people but to enslave them by looting and sharing among their family, ofcourse the strike would never affect them, because with their looting, they can afford to send their children and siblings abroad another country where people with great mind and courage fought hard to built and where they have mentors and followers who follow by thier lead. but here, why won't they… [Read Full Text]
Am ejiro by name, a student of DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY. Actually i want2 enphasize and talk more abt dis illicit strike by ASUU & the GOVT.. First of all i want2 say am not happy at all about this strike, dis strike has caused a lot of damage in 'student life'. The proces whereby we are suppose 2be in school studyin 4d betterment of this country, at the end they appreciate our effort by punishin us wit the so called STRIKE. Because of the strike also some student cant write their POST UME, which is a set bak 4… [Read Full Text]
Am ejiro ejoh by name, a student of DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY. Actually i want2 enphasize and talk more abt dis illicit strike by ASUU & the GOVT.. First of all i want2 say am not happy at all about this strike, dis strike has caused a lot of damage in 'student life'. The proces whereby we are suppose 2be in school studyin 4d betterment of this country, at the end they appreciate our effort by punishin us wit the so called STRIKE. Because of the strike also some student cant write their POST UME, which is a set bak… [Read Full Text]
Am ejiro ejoh by name, a student of DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY. Actually i want2 enphasize and talk more abt dis illicit strike by ASUU & the GOVT.. First of all i want2 say am not happy at all about this strike, dis strike has caused a lot of damage in 'student life'. The proces whereby we are suppose 2be in school studyin 4d betterment of this country, at the end they appreciate our effort by punishin us wit the so called STRIKE. Because of the strike also some student cant write their POST UME, which is a set bak… [Read Full Text]
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The education system in Nigeria has been a victim of militarism from Babangida to modern times . I wonder if anyone can still remember when ,under the military in the eighties the Universities and education institutions in the country was relegated to abysmal level to the point most of then resorted to awarding honorary degrees to importers and military men just to raise money to stay afloat.
That was the genesis of Dr. so and so which dominted the prefix of most traders,politicians and military generals in the country till today. These regimes have no respect for education… [Read Full Text]