This aint getting funny.
One hundred days after members of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities
embarked on a nationwide strike, the end
is not in sight yet, CHARLES ABAH writes
In countries like South Korea, the first 100
days of a child is very symbolic. Within
this period, the life of the child and that
of his parents are often celebrated. In
keeping with the tradition of the people,
prayers and various types of gifts are
offered to the gods during parties
organised to mark the event. This is
accompanied with much feasting in the
child’s home. The purpose of such ritual
is to increase the newborn baby’s chances
of becoming successful on earth.
Globally, it is also common among
political appointees or government
officials to celebrate their first 100 days in
office. For instance, President Barack
Obama of the United States celebrated his
first 100 days in office with pomp and
ceremony. The period in the US serves as
a benchmark to measure the early
success (or otherwise) of president.
In Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan
and many state governors also celebrated
their first 100 days in office. Of course,
the celebrations took place with much
fanfare. Advertorials were placed in the
newspapers and parties were held in
government houses to mark the
achievements of the political office-
holders during their first 100 days in
office.
Unfortunately, there are no celebrations
today as Nigerians mark the symbolic first
100 days that lecturers in the country’s
public universities embarked on industrial
action.
The lecturers, who commenced the strike
on July 1, are protesting the non-
implementation of an agreement they
signed with the Federal Government in
2009, as well as the non-payment of their
earned allowances.
Many people are compelled to ask what
the country, particularly the education
sector, has achieved in the first 100 days
of the ASUU strike. Since the strike is still
in progress, analysts conclude that
nothing significant has been achieved. In
their thinking, several dialogues and
meetings targeted at resolving the crisis
have failed to yield positive results.
Therefore, there is really no cause for
celebration.
A lecturer at the Lagos State University,
Ojo, Prof. Ademola Onifade, notes that
contrary to expectation, the current
struggle by ASUU has achieved nothing
for the lecturers and public universities.
He says, “In politics and governance,
politicians celebrate the first 100 days on
the positive side. But here we are, nothing
has been accomplished in this struggle. I
suspect that the game plan of the Federal
Government is to wear us out. The
authorities do not want to address our
requests. However, if their target is just to
wear us out, they will not succeed.”
But judging by recent statements made by
the representatives of the government,
there is an indication that the crisis will
be resolved. Indeed, President Jonathan
and Vice President Namadi Sambo have
promised that the crisis would be over
soon.
Earlier, the FG, acting through the
Governor Gabriel Suswam-led committee,
had released N100bn for infrastructure
development in the universities and
another N30bn for the teachers’ earned
allowances. But the leaders of ASUU
dismissed the sum as a token, saying it
was comparable to a drop in the ocean of
their requests.
While both parties continue to seek the
best way to settle their differences, the
mood in many homes and in the public
universities affected by the strike remains
sober. Academic activities in these
institutions are still suspended. The
students and their parents are forced to
deal with the frustration and feeling of
hopelessness arising from the strike, just
as the striking lecturers, who claim that
they have not had any meaningful
dialogue with the FG, continue to despair.
The lecturers have not been paid their
salaries for the past two months. But this
seems to be the least of their worries. The
Chairman of ASUU, Obafemi Awolowo
University chapter, Prof. Ade Akinola, who
says there is no political colouration in
their demand, notes that the body’s
major concern is to save the universities
from dying.
He says, “ASUU will continue to call on
Nigerians to help beg the Federal
Government to be patriotic and see
reason in not allowing public tertiary
education to die. The FG should honour
the agreement mutually entered into in
2009 and further reinforced by the
Memorandum of Understanding of
February 24, 2012. It was in general to
save the public universities from total
collapse.”
Also, a communications specialist, Mr.
Muyiwa Akin, thinks this is not the right
time for ASUU and the government to
trade blame. He says that both parties
should find a mid way to resolve the
crisis.
“All the parties should realise that they
should protect the interest of the
students. In my thinking, sincerity is
lacking in this matter. The signing of the
agreement took place some years ago and
if perchance, the FG is not able to meet
its own side of the deal, it should be open
about that.
“Again, the government should show
sincerity and commitment in funding
education and keeping to agreements,
just as ASUU members, who are seeking
the improvement of the quality of
education, should consider the fate of the
students. For, without the students, there
will be no ASUU and without ASUU, there
will be no students,” he says.
Meanwhile, ASUU insists that the 100-day-
old strike has no political colouration.
In a statement by its National Strike
Coordinating Committee, obtained on
Monday, the union dismissed the October
1 broadcast of the President in which he
referred to the strike as politically
motivated.
The statement read, “The primary goal of
our union is to work for the repositioning
of the Nigerian university system for
global competition in terms of
comparable facilities and staff quality.
This goal we have pursued with diligence
as a trade union.
“The Umaru Yar’Adua/Goodluck Jonathan
government did not accuse ASUU of
playing politics all through the three years
(2006-2009) negotiations that produced
the 2009 agreement. As Vice-President,
Jonathan made significant input into the
negotiation process. In 2012, when the
MoU was signed despite doubts about
government’s sincerity, President
Jonathan did not impute political motives.
Even the landmark report of the
Committee on the Needs Assessment of
Nigerian Public Universities was not
interpreted as political.
“Why is it now when ASUU insists that the
Federal Government should deliver on
what it undertook to do under the 2009
agreement, the 2012 MoU and the 2012
Needs Assessment Report that the union
is being accused of embarking on a
political strike?
“ASUU members, and, indeed, progressive
Nigerians, know too well that the
accusation of politicisation of strike is a
cheap blackmail. If anything, it is the
Federal Government that is trying to whip
up political sentiments over matters that
are straightforward and clear to all and
sundry.”
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