ASUU: In Defence Of Truth -By Muhammad Sagir Bauchi

Education is the core aspect in development of a nation. A nation that gives priority to education is likely to developed faster than one that gives it less attention.

Therefore, Education in general, is the fastest and practical vehicle of attaining individual & social fulfilment.

Sir Ilhan Ortuzk in one of his scholarly paper where he was trying to fish out the correlation between education and economic development, he wrote and I quote, “education in every sense is one of the fundamental factors of development. No country can achieve sustainable economic development without substantial investment in human capital. Education enriches people’s understanding of themselves and world. It improves the quality of their lives and leads to broad social benefits to individuals and society. Education raises people’s productivity and creativity and promotes entrepreneurship and technological advances. In addition, it plays a very crucial role in securing economic and social progress and improving income distribution.”

Sir Kilpatrick, a leading figure in the pragmatis School said; “The aim of education should be that all people shall have the fullest and finest life possible”. According to him, the methods to achieve this are;

-Providing Opportunity to live
-Providing learning and experiences, and
-Providing conditions for proper character development.

In every progressive society, teachers are the back borne of every society. As the future of that society lies on their hands; thereby, given the adequate knowledge to their students who are to become the leaders of tomorrow. No nation can develop if it’s teachers are neglected.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), is formed to succeed the then Nigerian Association of University Teachers (NAUT) Which was formed in 1965. ASUU replaced NAUT in 1978.

The union, throughout the years of it struggles witnessed several persecution from the military regimes to the Democratic leaders.

In 1988, the union organized a strike, demanding fair wages and universities autonomy. This strike led to the proscription of the union by the then military regime. It later allowed it to resume it’s activities in 1990.
After another strike, the union was banned in August,1992 but an agreement was reached in 1992 that met several of the union’s demands including the right of workers to collective bargaining.

To date, the 2009 Agreement between the Union and the FGN is one of the major national topic of discussion and point of contention and disagreement between the Two parties. That agreement contains the reasons of the union’s current strike, which is in its Eight months.

In a document title “AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA (FGN) AND THE ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES (ASUU) JANUARY 2009”

The first chapter of the document, reads;
“Establishment of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN)/Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Re-Negotiation Committee”

On Thursday, 14th December, 2006, the then Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. (Mrs.) Obiageli Ezekwesili, on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), inaugurated the FGN/ASUU Re-negotiation Committee comprising the FGN Re-negotiation Team led by the then Pro-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Deacon Gamaliel O. Onosode, OFR, and the ASUU Re-negotiation Team led by the then President of ASUU, Dr. Abdullahi Sule-Kano.

The Committee met immediately after its inauguration for its first session, during which both teams re-affirmed the need to address the identified rot in the university system, as evidenced in dilapidated infrastructures and poor conditions of service for all categories of universities staff.

At the meeting, the ASUU team submitted a position paper titled “Proposals for the Re-negotiation of the 2001 Agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria/Governments of State that own Universities and the Academic Staff Union of Universities” which reflected the views of ASUU on various issues in the 2001 FGN/ASUU
Agreement.

On Tuesday, 23rd January, 2007, the Federal Government/ASUU Re-negotiations began at the National Universities Commission (NUC), Abuja. At the meeting, the government team presented a position paper titled “Government Negotiating Team Position Paper for 2006 Negotiation with Academic Staff of Nigerian Universities”, which was a response to ASUU demands.

The Re-negotiation was suspended as a result of ASUU’s withdrawal on 11th January, 2008 in connection with its stand on the Ilorin 49 (sacked staffs) issue and did not resumed until 25th August, 2008.”

The TERMS OF REFERENCE contained in that document, is as follows;

The single Term of Reference of the Committee was to re-negotiate the 2001 FGN/ASUU Agreement and enter into a workable Agreement. In the course of discussion, the Committee agreed that the essence of the Re-negotiation was:

(i) To reverse the decay in the university system, in order to reposition it for greater responsibilities in national development;

(ii) To reverse the brain drain, not only by enhancing the remuneration of academic staff, but also by disengaging them from the encumbrances of a unified civil service wage structure;

(iii) To restore Nigerian Universities, through immediate, massive and sustained financial intervention; and,

(iv) To ensure genuine university autonomy and academic freedom.”

In the chapter four (4) of the document, the issue of funding is discussed, as stated;
“FUNDING”

The Re-negotiation Committee, in order to arrive at the funding provisions stated below, took serious cognizance of the widely acknowledged fact that:

(i) The key to the survival of our country in the 21st Century lies in its ability to produce applied and theoretical knowledge in science, technology and the humanities; and

(ii) The task of revitalizing and accelerating the development of the Nigerian University System to become internationally competitive can no longer be delayed, more so if Nigeria is to become a leading economy in the world within the next Ten (10) years or so as desired by the Government.

On the basis of the data collected, and their analysis through a rational and scientific procedure, the following funding requirements were projected for a quick and effective remedy of deficiencies in the programmes and facilities, and for a systematic upgrading of programmes and facilities that would rapidly advance Nigeria’s knowledge production for development. (The justification of the projected figures is in Appendix I “Funding Requirements for Revitalizing the Nigerian University System: 2009 -2011).

4.1 Funding of Universities

It was agreed to recommend that:

a) All regular Federal Universities shall require the sum of one trillion, five hundred and eighteen billion, three hundred and thirty-one million, five hundred and forty five thousand, three hundred and four naira (N1,518,331,545,304) only for the period 2009 -2011 as follows:

Year Amount (N)
2009 472,031,575,919
2010 497,531,778,701
2011 548,768,190,681″

Where these funds could be source? In the 4.2 of the chapter four, the source of funding was stated as;

“SOURCES OF FUNDING”
4.2.1 Federal and State Governments.
The goal of this negotiation is to put Nigeria in a strong position to become a knowledge based society that will be able to compete and survive in the 21st Century.

To achieve this, the entire education system requires massive funding at all levels. While non-budgetary sources have a role to play, and there must be continuous efforts to identify and use them prudently, the major source of funding education for national development is through budgetary allocation from State and Federal Governments.

With this in view, the Re-negotiation Committee agreed to recommend to the relevant authorities that:

(a) A minimum of 26% of the annual budget of the State and Federal Governments be allocated to education;

(b) At least 50% of the budgeted 26% shall be allocated to the universities; and,

(c) The representation of the Federal Ministry of Education to the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission to put education on the “First Charge” be vigorously pursued.

(d) Being mindful of the processes for meeting this goal of 26% annual budgetary allocation to education as enunciated in the UNESCO benchmark, the Federal Government shall endeavour to progressively increase its budgetary allocation to the education sector in accordance with its vision 20:2020 programme.”

Now, let’s take a look through the budgetary allocation to the education sector from 2009-2019.

In 2009, the sum of N3.049 trillion was budgeted, where the sum of #221.16billion, which represented 7.25% of the total budget was allocated to education. In 2010, the sum of 5.160 trillion was budgeted, only 249.09billion, which represented 4.83% of the budget was allocated to the education sector.
In 2011, 4.972trillion was budgeted, but education sector was blessed with the sum of 306.3billion Naira which represent 6.6% of the budget.

In 2012, 4.877trillion was the proposed budget, but only 8.20% of the proposed budget was allocated to education sector. Also, in 2013, the proposed budget was 4.962trillion,but education sector was allocated with the 8.55% of the budget.

Education sector was in 2014,2015, 2016,2017, 2018 and 2019 budgeted with 9.94%, 7.74%, 6.10%, 7.38%, 7.03% and 6.7% of the budget respectively!

Education sector budget is of great importance to a country, because it helps the country to focus more on critical issues affiliated with the education sector.

Education is considered a government responsibility and one of its main items of expenditure, given the sector the adequate required budget could solve the issues of the dilapidated universities lecture halls, conference hall, laboratories and other things related to education.

In all the years listed above, the budget allocated to education in Nigeria were less than the UNESCO’S benchmark.

Therefore, how could Nigeria compete in global arena that regard education as a fundamental right not a privilege? How can the nation compete with countries that go as far as offering scholarships and grants to their citizens and also extend generosity to international students that wishes to study in their countries?

The Two (2) main problems between ASUU and FGN could basically be viewed as; issue of TRUST and UNCOMPROMISING. To date, no politician has ever succeeded in buying the struggle or the representatives of the union.

To the former problem, no matter how arrogant one is, can never accuse ASUU of seeking what is outside the armbit of LAW and it’s suspicious of government sincerity.

The struggle of ASUU is all about; the development of education in Nigeria, a robust and autonomous universities capable of producing qualified graduates and affordable university education for all citizens.

Mostly, the first and the most affected victims of this strike are ASUU members whom most of them are students in post graduate levels and their salaries are usually stopped as a result of these struggles!

Moreover, students of undergraduate levels and in coming applicants are also affected.

The key to ending the strike is not about enrollment into government IPPIS to avoid salary mutations, but for the government to exhibit sincere and genuine intention and to take practical action to fulfill those promises it made to the union.

Also, ASUU should find a way to clear its image before the citizens, thereby making frantic effort in dealing with;

lack of transparency to the public on the activities of the union, nepotism in admission, sex-for-marks lecturers, half-baked lecturers halting the success of their students in their courses. These are among the reasons why many students find it hard to sympathize with the union, in spite of knowing the actual motive behind the union’s struggle!

This article cannot be complete without citing the word of my mentor in art of writing, the present Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu whom in one of his golden articles, titled “WHY ASUU ALWAYS ON STRIKE”, and I quote;

“The goal for ending the strike shouldn’t be to save parents anxiety or to take pity on students or to save lecturers’ jobs or to graduate students: it is to save the university system so that it becomes what it is supposed to be—a system for producing a culturally literate society, and for generating and harnessing ideas and knowledge, initiating and driving social and economic innovation, and ensuring national competitiveness on the global scene.”

ibrahimsagir1227@gmail