Nigerian public universities have been under lock and key for about two months. This is as a result of a strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The Federal Government has asked ASUU members to consider their students and call off the strike. But ASUU has remained adamant. As it is now, the action has gone beyond merely asking the lecturers to resume work.
Fundamentally, the Federal Government has not shown enough sincerity of purpose in addressing the issues raised by the striking teachers. It has continued to invent excuses to explain its inability to meet ASUU’s demands. Recently, for instance, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, exonerated his ministry and blamed the Ministry of Education for the lingering strike. Saying he had made use of the labour instruments at his disposal, Ngige noted that “the bosses in the Federal Ministry of Education do not feel the strike. There are things that are above me. I am not the Minister of Education.”
The major problem is that ASUU entered into a memorandum of understanding with the government since 2009. Many times, government promised to honour the agreements. But it has continuously failed to fully meet its own part of the bargain. There have been several other agreements between the government and ASUU. They all revolve around the agreement reached since 2009.
Among others, ASUU wants the government to increase the funding of the universities and renegotiate the conditions of service of academic staff which included a separate salary structure for university lecturers to be called ‘Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure.’ The varsity teachers also urge the government to pay arrears of allowances and stop the implementation of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS). In place of IPPIS, ASUU wants the Federal Government to consider what it calls University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
However, the Federal Government said UTAS failed to pass integrity and credibility test conducted by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). As such, it could not be implemented. ASUU countered the government, saying it is UTAS or nothing.
Amid this muscle flexing, the Federal Government claimed it had so far paid N92 billion to cover earned allowances and revitalisation funds to federal universities. Though commendable, it falls far short of ASUU’s demands. The Federal Government had agreed to inject N1.3 trillion for revitalisation of public universities in six tranches starting from 2013. It was to release N200 billion in 2013 and N220 billion each year for the five subsequent years. It released the first tranche of N200 billion and failed to release the rest as agreed, citing paucity of funds. But the same government also failed to utilise the value added tax and stamp duty, which it activated on the recommendation of ASUU, to fund the universities.
It is sad that students mostly bear the brunt of the strike. Some of them have fallen victims of rape and other criminal activities in the country. Their youthful energies are wasted away at home.
The instability in our higher institutions has also caused image problem for the nation. In some years back, Nigerian universities could boast of an array of international students. These days, it is no longer the same. Rather, Nigerians are the ones migrating to foreign universities to get quality education. We didn’t expect that after the nine-month strike, which was called off early last year, ASUU would embark on another one almost a year after. The lingering strike will mortgage the future of the country and that of the students.
Let the government dialogue with ASUU and resolve all outstanding issues amicably. It should also honour all agreements reached with ASUU. Just as it has failed ASUU, it has also failed to keep the promises made to the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU). These unions are also on strike and have threatened to make the action indefinite.
President Muhammadu Buhari should intervene and end the ongoing strikes in the varsities. He had recently pledged that his government was committed to fulfilling the promises made to ASUU. This is the time to walk the talk as education remains germane to the nation’s socio-economic development. Though resources are scarce, revitalising the universities can be achieved if we put our priorities right.
There is need for moderation on the part of ASUU. Education standards have been terribly affected. We encourage the union to put the future of the country first. This is not the time for grandstanding and massaging of personal egos. Let there be sincerity of purpose in all efforts to end the industrial dispute.
ASUU and the government must realise that we are preparing for a major electoral contest. If the strikes are not called off, they are likely to affect the 2023 elections. The ruling party must intervene to save the education sector. It is time for major stakeholders to speak up against the poor funding of public universities.