Opinion: ASUU And The Yoke Of Strikes

ASUU And The Yoke Of Strikes

Oladeji writes on ASUU and the yoke of strikes.

The history of higher education in Nigeria cannot be told without the inclusion of events and periods of strikes. Strikes of various natures and for different reasons have become a normal phenomenon in growing inconsiderate policy making relationship between the government and academia. It is stipulated in the constitution that strikes can be used as avenues to express public opinion which can bring positive changes. However, the institutions of higher education are still facing instability and ills despite the strikes, policies, money, corruption, knowledge and human resources that are put into it. The standard and products of Nigeria’s higher education are getting lower despite highly improved inputs and this situation is mirrored effectively in the Nigerian economy.

From the inception of democracy in Nigeria, It’s no longer news that in every government regime, there must be an industrial action of strike demonstrated either by, the Nigeria Labour congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) or Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which will in one way or the other cripple the affected sector of the economy. However, industrial action came to be as a result of the conflict of interest between the employee and the employer on certain issues such as working condition, remuneration issues or terms and condition of operations, non-payment of the earned allowance, inadequate funding of the university system and so on. Industrial action is seen as a last resort when all other efforts have proved abortive. In the Nigerian context, however, industrial action has always been a regular way of expressing a displeasing situation most especially by the public servant to their employer. Meanwhile, industrial action does come with some unpleasant effect on the affected sector.

The recent strike of the ASUU has crippled the educational system in Nigeria with a whole lot of ripple effect.

Once again, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is on a “warning strike” continuing the process of Nigeria’s undergraduates studying in dribs and drabs. This is the 15th strike since 1999. ASUU claims that government hasn’t implemented a Memorandum of Action previously signed by both parties. Regrettably, government routinely involves itself in the chicanery of signing agreements which it has no intention of adhering to, thereby serially creating reasons for ASUU strikes.

It is public knowledge that university lecturers aren’t well paid compared to their colleagues elsewhere. Indeed, poor conditions of employment and lack of research grants have been at the centre of the never-ending battle between ASUU and government. Their frequent strikes have achieved nothing concrete in terms of improving conditions in public universities, but serve to highlight a failed industrial relations policy.

The Minister for Education debunked allegations that he avoids meetings with ASUU negotiators and said, quite ridiculously, that he was “looking for them” to talk to because he was “attending to their demands” even as they declared a one-month warning strike! The truth is that there is nothing new for ASUU to talk about. Government should stop backsliding and honour its previous agreements. There is no point in asking for further negotiations when previously signed agreements have not been honoured.

It’s sheer poppycock to say that government doesn’t have the money to satisfy ASUU’s demands. Even though government doesn’t have enough money to do everything, it has enough to do whatever it wants. It’s a matter of priorities. Apparently there is always enough money for international gallivanting, banqueting, purchase of new official vehicles, and increasing political office holders’ allowances, but never enough to satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of the citizenry.

What ASUU has failed to take on board in demanding improvements in the public university system is the truth that political office holders paid with public funds ranging from the president to vice-president, governors, senators, representatives, and ministers, send their children to overseas universities where standards are maintained. The social media is replete with pictures of top Nigerian political office holders posing for photographs with their children graduating from universities in foreign lands and proudly displaying their contempt for Nigerian universities. The truth is that second-rate foreign universities are better than the best Nigerian ones.

There is no doubt that ASUU is in a fight for the survival of public universities which are being destroyed in the same manner as government primary and secondary schools whose common traits are neglect of facilities and poor remuneration of teachers. There is a case to be made that since incessant strikes have not been beneficial in any way, a new strategy should be adopted.

Indeed, ASUU appears to have misunderstood their relationship with the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, who made it clear that the ministry is only a conciliator in the ongoing dispute and not the employer of the striking lecturers. In the context of employee/employer relationship, the appointment letter of each lecturer contains the name and logo of a university and not that of the Ministry of Education, let alone the federal government. ASUU should be negotiating with the management of individual universities whom they habitually ignore, and desist from dealing with Federal Ministry of education officials who by errors of commission and omission have made it clear that they care less.

While education ministry officials are justifiably and roundly condemned for failing to honour signed agreements, the truth is that ASUU’s objective of ensuring uniform conditions of employment for all lecturers in public universities is unjustifiable and unrealistic.

The operating and financial conditions of universities are not all the same and the best approach is for ASUU National Executive to cede powers to branch unions to negotiate with their individual universities while providing them with advisory and strategic support. With all due respect to ASUU, the nation’s best brains have been turned off from the lecturing career path. Universities have an atrociously low starting salary for graduate assistants. Furthermore, no matter how long graduate assistants work, they will not get promoted without a Masters’ degree for which there is no research grant, meaning all expenses must come from their meager salary.

After all the hardship and stress, they are promoted to the rank of assistant lecturer and to gain further promotion, they must then enroll on a PhD programme, present papers, and attend conferences again all at their own expense. The increasing number of students to lecture and scripts to mark doesn’t count towards any sort of promotion. Quite scandalously, Nigerian public university lecturers are perhaps the only workers who are required to use their salary to work to achieve the criteria set for their promotion.

The current administration has proved incapable of improving the nation’s intellectual capital and providing a lasting solution to perennial strikes in the university system. The incoming 2023 administration must take the bull by the horns and insist on signing and adhering to “rules of engagement” contained in a procedural agreement outlining issues over which the employer has prerogative, those which are negotiable, and those which are merely consultative or for discussion. The procedural agreement should also address the frequency and timing of negotiations, duration of agreements, and the procedure for handling grievances which may arise in the relationship. It’s long past time to break the cycle of regular ASUU strikes.

Oladeji writes from Lagos.

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Eyo Nse is a creative writer, blogger and a software engineer.He is a simple individual who loves to see others succeed in life.Mr Wisdytech as he is popularly known - started blogging in the early 2000's.