REVEALED: Real Reason Why Federal Government Does Not Want ASUU Strike To End

By Theophilus Ilevbare
Nigerian universities have been buffeted with agonising months of strikes for over a decade and until now, the story is pretty much the same. Government is still unwilling to give the education sector a shot in the arm.
asuu-strikeAcademic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has been on strike since June 30 and has dialogued with FG over 11 times, albeit, inconclusively.
This underscores the lukewarm posture of government towards the striking lecturers and from ASUU’s body language and utterances,  they have made it abundantly clear to anyone who cares to listen that they are ready to continue the strike even if it takes years, insisting that their decision was adequately taken in a bid to revitalise Nigerian universities.
The bone of contention is lucid in itself. An agreement was reached in 2009 that all federal universities would require a total sum of N1.5 trillion spread over three years (2009-2011) to address the rot and decay in the universities.
But, in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed between the union and the government in 2012, FG decided to extend the gesture to include both federal and state universities. After the 2012 review, it was agreed that instead of N1.5 trillion, FG would infuse a total of N1.3 trillion into the universities over four years.
Almost four years down the line, FG has refused to fulfill its end of the bargain. Rather than respond to the issues raised by the union that would ensure quick resolution to the imbroglio, government boycotted ASUU to summon a meeting with Pro-Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors of universities, offering them N130 billion with a matching order to lecturers to resume work immediately.
But the union is insisting that by throwing money at universities in that manner, government has repudiated the 2009 agreement it entered freely with the union and the 2012 MoU. ASUU is not making any fresh demand but has maintained that the 2009 agreement must be honoured.
It is ridiculous that government officials were quoted as saying ASUU’s N1.3 trillion demand is capable of shutting down the country. No. Their insatiable and rapacious greed will.
The private jets in the presidential fleet can fly, centenary celebrations is a priority to government, there’s enough money to pay humongous salaries and allowances to federal legislators and other political office holders, enough to forfeit to oil subsidy thieves, enough to pay militants bogus amnesty cheques and phantom contracts while they continue to bunker our crude oil like never before, there’s enough money to beg Boko Haram to accept amnesty but there is no money for law abiding Nigerian students who want to eke out a living using university education as a stepping stone. It is this kind of attitude from the government that provokes the use of brute force by some regional groups to attract government’s attention to their problems.
Government cannot claim it has no money to fulfill this agreement. A country with 109 senators earning about N19.6 billion a year, while N51.8 billion is spent on members of House of Representatives for the same period, totaling N71.4 billion.
This sum, N71.4 billion, represents 17.8 per cent of the N400bn yearly intervention fund recommended by the Committee on Needs Assessment of Nigerian Universities. Surely, our lecturers and universities where they were trained deserve more.
When we talk of heath care, government official and the ruling elite go abroad for medical attention; we talk of bad roads, they fly private jets; we talk of power, they run their homes on 24-7 alternative electricity source; now we’re talking Education, their wards are in some of the best universities abroad. There is no way the myriad of problems bedeviling the country can be tackled if the political elite don’t feel the pangs.
That Mr. President has taken out time from his ‘busy’ schedule to constantly parley with the warring factions of his party, PDP, but has never sat down with ASUU members to chart a course for Nigeria’s leaders of tomorrow clearly shows his priorities. Party affairs and chasing perceived enemies of his 2015 ambition around with apparatus of state are far more important things than bending over backwards to pander to the demands of the striking lecturers.
But then, government must take into cognisance the fact that, the longer the students remain at home, chances are that they will be lured into social vices. The aftermath can be disastrous for the state.
There are misplaced calls in some quarters for ASUU to be ‘reasonable’, accept FG’s offer and return to classrooms. Others lambast them for being self-centered and unpatriotic. It is unfortunate that Nigerians are always looking for quick fix solutions to monumental problems. Less endowed countries like Ghana, Botswana and Angola are making giant strides on all fronts because the citizenry have at one point or the other insisted that the needful be done. Here, anything thrown at us is accepted with glee.
We must get our priorities right as a country. Government must curb its own excesses. Education must be given the attention it deserves. Education of the citizenry should not be subjected to any form of Negotiation. Negotiating the education of our leaders of tomorrow is more or less negotiating the future of the country.
Government deliberately wants the strike to linger, first, to blackmail the opposition. There have been several unsavoury comments from the government’s divide of the negotiation table that ASUU has been infiltrated by moles from the opposition, alleging that the strike has lingered to gain political capital. That is how low this government can stoop. We have seen it before. It is an irresponsible and shameless government, one that lacks integrity and honesty that will blame the opposition for all its woes. It is unbecoming for the government of the day to continue to heap its failure on the doorstep of the opposition and ASUU strike is just another avenue to paint the opposition black before the public.
Second, is to send a strong signal to other unions who might be contemplating similar action to have a rethink. Perhaps, government thinks by acceding to ASUU’s demands, other Labour unions might toe the same path at the slightest excuse.
Third, the ultimate aim of government is to paint a bad image of the association to Nigerians, at least, for as long as the strike persists. The Governor Gabriel Suswan-led NEEDS Report Implementation Committee mediating on behalf of the government has unfortunately taken a position that is false, dishonest, and calculated to misinform the public and cause disaffection towards the union.
Rather than seek cheap popularity, Governor Suswan and the rest of the FG team should tow the part of honour by asking
President Goodluck Jonathan to honour the 2009 agreement. There’s no basis for turning the heat on ASUU and the campaign of calumny.
It calls for worry, that same government that has always maintained that ‘our graduates are unemployable’ and our universities churn out ‘half-baked graduates’ find it difficult to commit the much needed funds to revamp the universities.

27 COMMENTS

  1. ASUU Has caused enough pain and trouble than good. I urge the FG to Resolve dis demaining factor eating up dey University sector. It’s with no doubt that both parties have their own flaws. Two wrongs can never make a right. FG should Bend a little since they once agreed to the 2009 MOU.

  2. It is disheartening and highly disappointing on the part of FG to prove it to the general public and the international communities that the future of Nigeria means less or nothing to them.
    Corruption have devalue our integrity to an extent that some Nigerians have lost hope of a better tommorrow.
    We are our own problems cos we voluntarily elected these thieves and corrupt minds to positions of authorities.
    I fully support ASUU to remain steadfast in their demand until the FG tow rhe right line.

  3. Wat a dream killin country wit dream killers as leaders. Its rather unfortunate dat more badluck has befallen dis country ever since a president by d name Goodluck emerged. Its not being easy staying home dis long buh if dis act is wat will give Nigerian government Universities a new name n standard among oda uni.in d diaspora aswellas make our graduates employable th en d strike should continue.

  4. Indeed, to me it seem that ASUU is already campaign for Mr. President, provided he listen to there demand. Because, very soon thesame government would proudly campaign that they ensure that our universities were now better if this struggle is reached it demand.

  5. it amused me criously, imagine hw big U.S is d president av a private jet wich is Airforce 1 nd many of their president av bin using it, buh in naija here fleet of presidential jet. As powerful as George W. Bush is after his tenure as d president in U.S he went back to his family house, buh u c our ex-president aving assets worth billion of naira afta their tenure. God will help us in diz country sha

  6. Dnt mind dem. Even if d associatn has bn infiltrated by d opposition party, at least dey r still standing for justice. Is dre anytin wrong in standing for justice???
    Na only for naija all deze tinz dey apen. So heartless lot. And dia roots r frm d gutters… Ow man can b so forgetfull.

  7. “#1.5 trillion spread over 3 years to address the rot and decay in the universities” when did it actually become the fundamental responsibility of lecturers (employees) to ‘address the rot and decay’ in universities as to picket because of that? I make bold to say that ASUU has a ‘special interest’ in that fund otherwise how best can we explain their doggedness in upholding the strike? ASUU we know you don’t have the interest of students at heart it is only because of your selfishness; you are like the proverbial ‘ kettle calling pot black’.

  8. How more gullible should we be? Even if FG entered into agreement wt ASUU in 2009, are we unawares of the challenges Nigeria has been sunk into since d advent of Boko Haram in 2010? Are we ignorant of the effect it has on our economy? Do we forget or fail to realise that the global economic meltdown is traceable majorly to the rise of terrorism in early 2001? Do we jst assume everything is well wt Nigeria to meet the 26% budget allocation that totals N1.5trillion? Do we still expect govt to churn out such amount when it has subsidy to pay to the tune of equivalent amount required by ASUU? Did e not protest massively when Jonathan attempted to remove subsidy last year? We claim FG pays the legislature over N71billion annually, but does d president have power to change it? Is it not the same ASUU mobilising the students an d the masses to stop the humongous pay? Yet they claim their is no infiltration frm d opposition. If their is no such invisible force of backwardation n frustration frm d opposition, why should ASUU downtool at a critical point in Nigeria’s history when d FG is struggling very hard to wrestle the nation frm d claws of terrorism, vandalism n perceived disintegration it faces?

  9. Its quite disheartening dat FG is mortgaging with the future of Nigeria leaders esp those that are Patronising Nigeria education…
    Nd Goodluck Jonathan with due respect is betraying his words nd action in ds administration. He shd act wisely nd give the CHICKEN CHANGE to ASUU. Its not going to drain d country’s fortunes…

  10. Nigeria produces 2.5 million barrels of crude a day, everyday except on xmas day and a barrel goes for about 100 dollars.Do the maths and see how much we earn as a country a day from crude oil sales alone.It’s time Nigerians stand up and start asking the questions we should have started asking since the exit of our founding fathers.

  11. We call ourselves the giant of Africa, and most of our leaders are educationists but why are they behaving lyk one that has not been to school? ASUU will never surrounder until their aims is achieve for the betterment of U and I. Long live ASUU.

  12. We compiled a history of ASUU Strike in Nigeria since 1999 to 2013 as shown here.

    The series of strike tabled below have been experienced by all Government-owned universities in Nigeria, whose academic lecturers remained under the umbrella of the “Academic Staff Union of Universities -ASUU”.

    1999—5 months
    2001—3 months
    2002—2 weeks
    2003—6 months(ended in 2004)
    2005—3 days
    2006—1 week
    2007—3 months
    2008—1 week
    2009—4 months
    2010—5months & 1 week 2011—3 months(ended in 2012)
    2013—2months, 2 weeks, and still counting.

    QUESTION: When Would the 2013 ASUU Strike End? And when will our “good-for-nothing” government resolve the issues behind tertiary education in this country?

    What is the dream of the FG for a common Nigeria Child God Help Nigerian’s to wake-up from SLEEP

  13. Is better asuu should stick to d striking implementation,if not,any gov't dat is newly elected by 2015,will claim non-awareness of the MOu nd dis might be a big blow to d institution Is better asuu should stick to d striking implementation,if not,any gov't dat is newly elected by 2015,will claim non-awareness of the MOu nd dis might be a big blow to d institution

    Aggravating on nigeria education is neccessary

  14. It is quite true that Nigeria as a country has lost focus i.e. our people from whom we get leaders have lost it all at the alter of wealth, popularity and political power. Education is key to the progress of the nation. If we toy with it, we face a gloomy future. The world is moving ahead in terms of innovation and we are busy revolving in the same circle of poverty, backwardness and looting. The future belongs to those who can create, innovate and capture international attention. However, mediocrity has made us as Nigerians to see only what benefits us as individuals rather than the collective.
    Peace, security, development and social stability cannot be achieved in a situation where inequality prevails. Education is necessary to remove ignorance and save the human mind from perishing. The question is: “Is the Nigerian education system strong enough in terms of teaching and learning as regards science and technology?” The interplay of these two components of education brings about development and is the key to plugging into the future.
    Nigerians are good at making elaborate celebrations and making sure that they are noticed during occasions. We tend to make huge donations and prepare uniforms for occasions. When a family member or colleague at work is getting married we pull together huge sums of money which we ensure gets finished within the wedding period. Harnessing such resources for education of our loved ones is not a priority. I got to know that in East Africa, family members will gather to make donations for their son or daughter to pursue higher education. What will you call this kind of gesture? A step in the right direction of course. Remember the saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you have fed him a whole life time.” In essence, we encourage weddings, which in turn increase our population (which is good), but produce more young ones who will go through the same rotten educational system. The bible says “should we continue in sin so that grace may abound?” Should we continue in our rotten education system hoping that it will get better someday. Can’t that day be now?