ASUU IS COMPLICIT - by Tari Ogbowei

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was formed in 1978. It is officially reported that ASUU went on its first strike in 1988, although I found a picture of national daily publication with a page on ASUU titled, "ASUU may call off strike". The date and year isn't so clear but I could see November. It is claimed that the publication was in November 1981, a whole seven (7) years before the official report. Anyways to be modest, I would go with the official report and with this, ASUU should be celebrating its 34 years strike anniversary this year, 2022. The great Nelson Mandela once wrote, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Furthermore, Article 11(3) of African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child provides that all member States: "Shall take all appropriate measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of drop-out rates." From the foregoing, is proper education being provided for the children and youth of the country? It is obvious that the demands of ASUU are legitimate and in line with the charter and what is internationally obtainable. ASUU seeks for better welfare and packages for its members, better funding for tertiary education in Nigeria, which of course will lead to better learning and working environment for students and staff alike. For a noble course as this, one would wonder, why the incessant strikes? Why the disruption of academic activities in our tertiary institutions every academic year? Nigeria seems to be the only country that faces this perennial embarrassment in its educational sector, yet those who are meant to proffer solutions don't seem to care. The government appears to be quite comfortable with this generational setback and malignant decay in the heartbeat of the country's future. Since 1999, the beginning of the fourth Republic, till date, ASUU has been compelled to embark on not less than sixteen (16) strike actions, disrupting much needed academic programs. When these strikes are finally over, a huge chunk of the academic year has already been eaten up and the students are rushed to cover up for lost time. The effect is obvious: most of our university graduates are relegated to become half-baked minds. The Union again is presently on another strike in 2022 and the ongoing strike is eating up a lot from the 2021/2022 academic session with a four month running strike. What is the cause of this present strike? Basically, the reason for this strike action is the 2009 allocation to education from 2009 to 2022 on the nation's annual budget. By Chapter 4, Clause 4.1 of the January 2009 Agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Government is to set aside the total sum of N1.5 Trillion to be paid in three trenches, spread across three years {2009, 2010 and 2011}. Government has however maintained that it is impossible for it to raise that sum. This is turning out to be harder to believe, particularly due to the fact that many Nigerians are becoming more aware of the high level of unguided spending and profligacy which Government officials engage in. For a long time now, the percentage of funds allocated to the Education sector from the Nation's annual budget has been quite poor and most certainly below the recommended standard set by UNESCO, which is 26% of a nation's annual budget. In 2022, a measly 5.04% was allocated to education and in 2021, it was 5.06%. Infact, since 2009 till date budgetary allocation for education has never been up to 9% of the national budget. Compared to UNESCO's 26%, Nigeria's annual educational budgetary allocation proves that Nigeria is not serious with the education of its citizens and by inflection, stunting its growth and future as both are directly proportional to education. Going by all these, one would expect ASUU's fight to be righteous. That it's struggle is genuinely seeking to put the Nigerian Education sector back on track and on the right path to glory, except this is not so. Elections are coming again and this so called ASUU which has been continually blighted by the government will have a section of its most important members as Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) in the forthcoming elections as they have always done. How do you accept posts as educationists and members of ASUU from the same government you're at loggerheads with. ASUU, therefore is no saint and not without blame in the problems faced by the education sector. It is ironical that a body which has taken it upon itself to tackle the government because of its abandonment of the education sector is colluding with the same government. ASUU is therefore COMPLICIT in whatever problems the Nigerian education sector is facing today.

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