EndASUUStrike: Growing Restiveness on Campuses, Silence of the Graveyard?

 #EndASUUStrike: Growing Restiveness on Campuses, Silence of the Graveyard?

By

Prof. MK Othman

The industrial action of ASUU and other university-based unions mechanically ended in October 2022 but ineffectively lingers on to date, no thanks to the judicial technicality that muddled the FGN-ASUU conflict into a “winner-loser” solution.  After this imposed solution, the FGN, as the “winner” of the imbroglio is not only refusing to give listening ears to the unions but pretending that all is well on our university campuses.  The unions as “losers” keep appealing to the government to come back to the negotiation table for an amicable and permanent settlement of the imbroglio while the larger society pretends to be indifferent. FGN seems to be busy with other pressing issues and could not spare time for discussion with the unions.

There is a growing restiveness on Nigerian university campuses among university workers. The Workers’ confidence and trust in the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to permanently resolve the perennial causes of industrial disharmony on campuses are fast waning. Last year, when President Tinubu was the presidential candidate of APC, the ruling party and there was a seeming stalemate and deadlock in resolving the FGN-ASUU imbroglio, which could negatively impact the presidential campaign, then a topmost conciliator emerged. That was when the Honorable Speaker of the National Assembly, Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila stepped in to save the situation. Gbajabiamila’s calmness, doggedness, and self-confidence in pursuing pro-people agenda endeared him to Nigerians. Thus, his appearance at the center of the storm calmed nerves, he met all the key stakeholders including President Buhari on how to resolve the dispute and was almost succeeding before the court’s directive to call off the strike.

For a long time, Gbajabiamila has always been a man Friday and unalloyed loyalist of President Tinubu, and thus, Nigerians expected speedy resolution of all contending issues to bring permanent peace on our university campuses when Tinubu emerged the winner of the 2023 presidential election. Moreso, President Tinubu during his campaign promised to bring an end to the perennial strikes of university unions, if elected president. Today, two months plus, after Tinubu’s inauguration as the Nigerian President, Nigerians are yet to see tangible steps toward addressing the fundamental issues against the decadence of university education. Some of us thought the unions and FGN were discreetly talking and addressing the issues behind the scene until last week when the unions cried out indicating FGN’s lukewarm attitude to the unions’ agitation. The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) issued a communique at the end of the NEC meeting held in Umahia and the President of ASUU spoke his mind at an event at IBB University, Lapai.

SSANU called on FGN to urgently pay the four months' withheld salaries owed its members in the interest of industrial harmony in the country’s tertiary education sector.

The communiqué read, “Let it be known to the government that our members are yet to recover from the effect of the hardship caused by the withholding of their four months' salaries and may not recover from it unless the government does something about it. SSANU has earnestly offered itself for the renegotiation process to commence and awaits the invitation of the Federal Government on the issue. The government had promised to release the sum of N50 billion for payment of outstanding earned allowances to universities and inter-university centers. This agreement is yet to be fulfilled. Government should release funds for payment of the allowances without further delay as this was provided for in the 2023 budget”. SSANU further condemned the arbitrary and blanket dissolution of Governing Councils of federal universities by the Federal Government. “This action is illegal, inimical to the growth and proper functioning and management of universities in Nigeria as the appointment of the Governing Councils are tenured in line with the extant laws as gazette. For the avoidance of doubt, the law also provides that Governing Councils can only be dissolved on proven cases of corruption and incompetence.”

Similarly, early last week, a video clip of ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke trended on social media. Osodeke was shown voicing his utter disappointment with the government’s lukewarm attitude to resolving the contending issues. Paraphrasing his statement “We thought if they have won the election (the 2023 presidential election), we would not have anything to say, they already know all the issues, they would resolve, have they been resolved?” Recalling, “during our strike action last year, we met the present Chief of Staff (Gbajabiamila), all of you were aware where he promised all sort of things, we met the present President (Tinubu) and told us that he has convinced the President (Buhari) to sign the agreement.” Furthermore, “now there is a new government in place for the past six months, we have been making efforts to meet the new government including writing but nothing, even those who used to answer my calls immediately, they no longer answer my call, I am telling you this so that you get prepare…..”. Osodeke is on fire, between devil and deep blue sea, his members are not happy and the people in authority are no longer answering his calls, they may be laughing at him, leader of the “troublesome” union whose wings have been “clipped”. What of all the funds included in the 2023 budget to address the demands of the university-based unions?   So far, nothing has been released.

The FGN is either into oblivion about the issues or is satisfied with Ngige’s devilish strategy of preventing a future strike by using judicial technicality coupled with the application of the draconian law of “no work, no pay”. Whichever is the case, university education inches toward a looming tragedy unless something is done urgently to arrest the situation. Arresting the situation entails meeting the demands of ASUU alongside other unions. What is ASUU Demand?    

ASUU is demanding a change from rots to prosperity, from decay to progress, the kind of progress the country needs to become a great nation, and a well-deserved position we all crave for. If we fail to meet ASUU's demands of stopping the rots in the university system, the nation may be doomed sooner than later.

 Today, the situation on campuses is dicey as the teachers are unhappy. Can they teach well? No, because teaching is physical, psychological, and emotional with interest and passion. When one or more of these traits is lacking, no proper teaching and knowledge impartation will take place. So, lecturers need to be mentally and fervently stable in a conducive environment to impart knowledge for optimum assimilation. Certainly, decreeing peace in a university system without addressing contending issues cannot be achieved.

No doubt, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can address these issues. Now is the time to take the right step towards addressing the issues and stopping the resumption of the 2022 suspended strike. This can be done by engaging ASUU leadership and other stakeholders for genuine reconciliation. Before the engagement, however, BAT should immediately direct the immediate payment of the withheld salary arrears of the university workers to stop the growing restiveness on campuses and effectively end the strike.