the situation with ASUU strike: president Yar Adua vows not to reat!

13 weeks ago, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike started in Nigeria. Consequently, public Universities in the country have closed down. Public universities are fully grown with bushes. ASUU started the strike to drive home its demand for a better finding of universities, for academic freedom and University autonomy, for increased salaries of members and for the retirement age of members to be 70 years, rather than 64.

During the first weeks of the strike, the Federal Government of Nigeria, FGN, somehow had a dialogue with officials of ASUU. Consequently, the retirement age for professors has been lifted to 70 years, salaries of University lectures has been reviewed upwards by 40 percent. A professor would go home with a half smile and N450,000 while a low academic bags 90 pieces of a thousand naira note,monthly. Two Billion naira has been set aside for books and journal purchase. During those initial days of the strike, FG also accepted to increase grants for research works. And then, a University, a Polytechnic and a College of Education were selected for renovation and modernization. FG also said N210.5 billion naira will be allocated to education this year compared to the N210.5 billion of 2009 budget. So far, the Education Trust Fund, ETF, is to inject N33 billion in intervention projects and programmes.

ASUU has indeed pressed FGN to the wall to get this far. But truely speaking, the Nigerian higher Education Environment needs a re-wash! Most Universities have a grossly inadequate number of hotels for students. Students crowd in a room like housefly would do to spoit food. Universities don’t have laboratories or the available ones are very akward – and are always over crowded during practicals.

In some situations, light is always failing on campuses. Sometimes, student don’t have water to bath or drink for days! So, ASUU had to engage in an industrial strike action

But very woriedly is the fact that FG has to be pressed to a wall before it can realise the need for uplifting (or at least maintaining) the standard of education in the country! And even now, Federal Government is very reluctant to sign an agreement making it mandatory for state governments which own Universities to offer thier academic staff the same service conditions as those enjoyed by their counterpart in the Federal Universities.

The president of ASUU, Professor Akachukwu Awuzie, vowed in an ASUU meeting at the University of Ibadan (UI) on Thursday, August 20, 2009 that ‘‘it is better to die fighting on our feet, instead of crawling on our knees.’’

ASUU is indeed, determined for death! They are ready to bear the cross without salary payments. FG is also, been very sillent to react to the strike, recently – despite plead by individuals and organizations for Mr. President’s intervention.

Now, students are very idle. They can’t take-up jobs without certificates. So, most students go from streets to streets with frowning faces. Students are begining to become a burden to parents at home. And its begining to become more terrible. But why is FG so sillent?

Professor Awuzie, the ASUU president, said ‘‘it is true this government has instrument(s) of coercion; but we know that truth will always prevail.’’ One would say that the continuity of the strike is not putting the image of FGN in a good place. And that will be right! FG can devise better ways of handling the strike. And Nigerians are looking up to the President; whose one of the seven point Agenda is base on promotion of education.

But Mr President seems to, so far, be less worried over the strike. Perhaps he is handling better diplomatic situations at the time. Or has he vowed not to react to the strike?