By Douglas Anele
ASUU, I suggest, should rethink its strategy of indefinite strikes in dealing with problems in the universities. As I said before, the strategy is overrated and overused; it might actually be yielding diminishing returns as the years pass by.
Let us not forget that some university administrators have not managed available limited funds judiciously or manifested creative imagination in sourcing for internally generated revenue. Recently, a former vice–chancellor of a state university in the south east was dragged to the EFCC for corruption and financial rascality.
In this connection, although malignant corruption in government has crippled everything, including funding for universities, the sad truth is that there is corruption and wastage of scarce financial resources on frivolous and white elephant projects in the universities. ASUU has not done much to ensure that scarce resources are managed wisely by the authorities of various universities. I am
convinced that a painstaking audit of the finances of our tertiary institutions from 1992 to date would reveal atrocious mismanagement of funds by university administrators.
Now, unlike in the United States where reputable technocrats who are not academics are appointed presidents (vice-chancellors) of universities, the vice–chancellors of Nigerian universities have always been drawn from the academia. Thus, we should be a little circumspect, as lecturers, in casting the legendary “first stone” at government for corruption and financial recklessness. Government officials who are threatening application of the no-work-no-pay rule to lecturers are ignorant.
University teachers perform three interrelated jobs, namely, teaching, research, and community service. Only the first one, teaching, is affected during strikes. Hence, it can be argued justifiably that lecturers are still working even when they are not teaching. The no-work-no-pay policy if implemented now will not achieve the objective envisaged by government, that is, to force lecturers back to the classrooms because of economic hardship arising from non-payment of salaries.
Looking at the issue from a more critical perspective, it is quite interesting and amusing to observe the ineffectual attempts of the councils and vice–chancellors of some universities to make university teachers resume teaching, probably to make sure that subventions for salaries and other projects continue to flow into the institutions concerned.
Obviously, they are under pressure from the federal and state governments to ensure that normalcy returns as soon as possible. Let me be candid and assert that I, as an individual, can decide to continue with the teaching aspect of my job during strikes if the students are available. After all, when I was appointed, ASUU was not there, and I can decide to leave the system without consulting any union whenever I feel completely fed up with the growing anomalies in our universities.
However, something is definitely wrong with the obsession of government and university authorities towards getting lecturers to start teaching again. When a lecturer is being considered for promotion, the major criterion applied is the number of publications the lecturer has to his or her credit. Teaching is, unfortunately, relegated to the background.
I will, at a future date, critically analyze the irrational overemphasis on publications and how it has impacted negatively on the quality of teaching and, ironically, on the quality of the so– called academic publications some lecturers are brandishing.
However, for now, I want to ask: why is it that during strikes university authorities and councils behave as if teaching alone is “the alpha and omega” of the job of lecturers and, yet, almost completely neglect quality of teaching as a fundamental criterion for promotional
considerations?
If, indeed, teaching matters to them so much, why not make it the most important factor to be considered when a lecturer is to be promoted from one level to the next? The attitude of council members and vice–chancellors to the status of teaching in universities, to put it mildly, is incoherent.
I really do believe that if teaching is given the weight it deserves in promoting lecturers, perhaps it would encourage them to pick up their chalks once again during strikes, or at least make them think twice before embarking on indefinite stoppage of teaching.
As it is, authorities of the universities cannot have it both ways: they just cannot neglect teaching as a factor in promotion and turn around to make it the most important issue whenever ASUU embarks on an indefinite strike.
I must say at this point that the intolerant attitude of some of my colleagues to those who do not share their almost fundamentalist attitude to the prolongation of strikes is really disturbing.
Some conduct themselves as if they have more at stake in the university system than others. For me, such intolerance is a telling indication of the kind of anti-intellectual attitude that has crept into the system for some years now. Even in mathematics, the most exact science, there are always disagreements about mathematical formulas, principles and their interpretations.
It’s unfortunate that the government is pretending as if they don’t know that everything is wrong about the educational system of this country. What ASUU is asking for is for the benefit of students, staff and the society at large.
The only thing we have to do is to go to God in prayer so that HE alone can resolve the issue, after all God can control the heart of everybody including that of the President, Vice President, the Minister of Education anybody concerned.
We should know that before anything will be manifested physically it must be concluded in the spiritual realm.
May God help us, you will agree with me that crime rate is increasing this period that the youths that are suppose to be in their various universities are @ home doing nothing.
I think a legal action should be taken against asuu so that they will be reminded in a shamefull way, that the continued strike is uncalled for as their demand that federal govt sign an agreement for state is unconstitutional and unlawful. They better call of the strike now or the court will call it off to their shame. They should tender their resignation letter so that we will beleive they are really angry. nonsense…
Having read all your ASSU write-ups, i cocluded that your primary aim is to strike a balance. You should know one thing, objectivity can also be acheived if white is called white and black is called black. We all know that our governments, both past and present, have failed us woefully in terms of education. I do not see any other actions that our government understands other than indefinate strikes. Lecturer Anele is yet to come-up with a better alternative to strikes, if he thinks he has, he should think again. By the way, does he know that most of our graduates are half baked? That our schools are in dire need of funding? I think he should rather pay more attention to his philosophical views than partly blaming ASSU. The appauling state of education in Nigeria is enough for primary, secondary, college of education, politechnic and universities to go on strike, even for two years.
Incessant strikes by ASUU are outdated and irrelevant in this 21st Century. Strikes in developed world are met to draw the attention of the authorities while negotiation is the tool for a sustenable solution. The unfortunate and misconception of ASUU is strike will both be attention-seeking and negotiating tool which is practically impossible. The persistent strikes of ASUU caused more havoc and damage to the eduactional system in Nigeria than what they think government has done. That is the naked truth! Nigeria is a developing country which ASUU has failed to understand, that is a bitter truth. How many people are really paying taxes genuinely in Nigeria, even including ASUU!
ASUU should call off the strike and set up a body that must be continually negotiating and advising the government and should not be waiting for strike before doing that. The only time ASUU is known, heard off and relevant in Nigeria is when the lecturers are on strikes. The ASUU as a body has not been very relevant to the society since most things taught at the universities are archaic and outdated principles and theories. We are all witnesses to these. This strike should rather be seen as a revolutionary approach to the overhauling of the educational system in Nigeria. How many ASUU members except Prof Wole Soyinka, a former ASUU member have won Nobel prize? If ASUU is relevant in the academic world Nigerian government would be happy to be relevant to ASUU. The present day ASUU members are collecting more wages than when Prof Wole Soyinka won the Nobel prize. The attitude of the ASUU to academic is appalling! If ASUU loves Nigeria and the students it must call off the strikes now, improve on attitude and be relevant in Academic world.
Just keep writing until the issues are resolved. Like a cracked record or disc, the music plays the same tone over and over. It is ok because it reminds us that we have not moved forward.
If i still live under my father’s roof, he feeds me, clothes me, takes care of my expenses all because I’m a small boy. If daddy (F.G) decides to stop doing all these and mummy (advisers) does not have the wherewithal to do same, what do you expect from me (Governing Councils of Universities) to to do to my sibblings (ASUU)? if at this stage of our lives, A Yar’adua and Jonathan (both products of Nigerian universities) are not enlightened enough to take the bull by the horn, let them know that the horn of a bull can kill if it attacks fiercely. Your doctrine of using another means rather than strike is off the mark. Let it continue this way and see the result. I have experienced it before when ASUU went on strike for 8 months. I was rendered useless at home but after the agreement with government, a lot of things came as benefits to my school which we enjoyed. I feel sorry for the students really. It’s a sad thing to experience but if the end result will be beneficial to all concerned, let’s fight fo it.
Our Nigeria government are very sturborn and those not want the progress of our edution.
when will this madness end?