Right from the onset of the ASUU strike which has culminated in students being left helplessly at home for almost five months, there has been a lot of controversies as well as explanations that haven’t quite appealed to students.
At first, we all thought it was a strike that will last for at least a month, and then the government will pour a little grain on the floor for the domestic fowls to rush home and feed upon as is the norm. This time around, as time persists, it has proven to be more than our sagacity and the conclusion is simple: ASUU means business this time around.
They subsequently proved to us that they were heading into this lingering strike not just to seek for better remuneration as well as better working conditions but to fight for the students. They are into the strike to help us better our learning conditions, we were reminded. They are also fighting to make sure that the dilapidated nature of infrastructure normally found in schools, is given a facelift.
They are into this war once again to make sure that we are provided with modernised laboratories which will facilitate pragmatic teaching and learning as well as the provision of improved libraries.
At that moment, everybody was happy and very satisfied with the route the strike had taken. In realisation of the fact that our University lecture halls usually have at their disposal students densely packed like poultry birds as well as libraries as old as man himself and of course anachronistic buildings reminiscent of a museum, students were still not sure if the strike was going to affect them or not. All they knew was; ASUU is fighting for its selfish interest. Even a Professor from my Department confessed to me that they are fighting for our future. I wasn’t so sure I believed him.
After a series of fruitless meetings between the two protagonists aimed at providing a lasting solution to the impasse, a fresh story started emanating. It was fresh because people were not aware of it initially. The students were deluded into believing their interest was all the strike was about whereas it was an erroneous story. They did not tell us they were on strike because of a certain ‘2009 agreement’ until things went sour. Instead, they decided to use the students as a shield to achieve their conspicuous selfish interests. Lecturers, alongside their students, have been at home because of some certain allowances the federal government did not comply with. While the government has agreed to pay them a certain sum, they have blatantly refused to accept it, let alone re-opening the classrooms. Even the imposition of the no-work-no-pay stretegy has proven insufficient to get the striking teachers back to the classrooms.
As time went on, the strike looked nowhere near an end. Minister of Education, Professor Rukayyatu Rufai, one of the earliest negotiators, was axed so that she will join her colleagues in the trenches. The ferocious battle that is threatening to dismantle the PDP, in which seven governors went their separate ways, was allegedly believed to be the sole reason why President Jonathan became vindictive, hence, the decision to kick the Jigawa State Minister out of office. It was indeed another fresh period of frustration and shattered hopes for students as the PDP internal crisis has stalled every effort; and equally, every other issue was discarded because the PDP crisis has toppled everything on the agenda of the nation.
The federal government, in its characteristically unfaithful manner was once again irresponsible in fulfilling the agreement they honourably signed four years ago. They have also refused to give the education sector the much needed attention and the support it needs to succeed. In every nation, education is deemed as an essential tool for achieving sustainability. Education is also deemed as an instrument for social change and a crucial tool for development. In consonance with UNESCO, every nation is expected to spend not less than 26% of her budget on education. Ironically in Nigeria, the budget for the education sector is nothing to write home about, it’s nowhere near the designated 26% requirement.
According to Olaniyi Adeyinka, the Principal Assistant Registrar on Legal Matters, Ibadan Polytechnic, Nigeria’s budget for Education has never exceeded 13% since the year 2000. He also profounded that as at 2012, only 8% of the total budget was allocated to the Ministry of Education, which is about N400bn. He was not done yet as he went further to state how Nigeria is largely behind the likes of Ghana (31%), Cote d’ivoire (30%), Uganda (27%), Bostwana (19%), Morocco (17.7%), Tunisia (17%) and Burkina Faso (16.6%) as far as the budget for education is concerned.
A couple of weeks ago, the ASUU body had a meeting with Senate President, David Mark which albeit unsuccessful, gave us fresh hopes that an agreement will be reached in order to pre-empt further strikes in the long run. The failure of the two parties to come to a palpable understanding prompted the President himself to join the negotiations. In a meeting that lasted two rounds and was widely reported to be a thirteen hour meeting, news making the rounds had it that the strike was going to be called off soonest. It was later revealed that the meeting was successful, an agreement was reached and we should await further announcement. As it stands, we are still waiting for an announcement that seems not to be coming any time soon. The death of Professor Festus Iyayi has aggravated the resumption procedure despite the decision by majority of the schools to resume work.
If truly the meeting was tagged ‘successful’ and Mr President reportedly told the officials that an agreement must be reached and that children must go back to school, what then is preventing ASUU from announcing the suspension of the strike?
The decision by some Universities to pull out of the body is a testimony that ASUU itself is involved in some internal crisis. If what we read in the media is anything to go by, I see no reason why ASUU should be adamant in calling off the strike. It will also be an honour for ASUU to accept the offer they’ve got in order to honour Prof Iyayi, who died in the course of finding a solution to what has become a recurring crisis.
What I notice in Nigeria is that, almost every sector is battling one particular problem or the other. Everything is moving in a haphazard manner and not according to plan. ASUU should consider the offer of the said ‘agreement’ and get back to school. In doing so, they will help salvage the already jeopardised future of Nigerian students.
–By Muhammad Ibrahim
Culled from: OsunDefender
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