By Emmanuel Edukugho
Once again, neither side will change its position or accepts the demands of the other side as talks between Lagos State governor and leadership of tertiary unions over implementation of FGN/ASUU 2009 Agreement, have ended in deadlock.

Dr. Akinyemi and Governor Fashola

Last week Monday (6th December, 2010), Governor Babatunde Fashola, summoned leaders of tertiary unions, the Vice chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Deputy Vice Chancellor, members of the Governing Council, Provost of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Otto-Ijanikin, (AOCOED), Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCOPED), Rector, Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTEC) and all the principal officers of tertiary institutions, appealing for suspension of the strike to enable students return to the classrooms. But the meeting ended in a stalemate because there was no compromise to break the deadlock between the two feuding sides.

Dr. Segun Kabiru Akinyemi, Chairman, LASU – ASUU told Education Vanguard that Governor Fashola was unwilling to fully implement the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, judging from what happened at the meeting.
Akinyemi who led the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) team to the meeting gave an insight on how the meeting went in this interview:

Is there any positive update on the crisis since tertiary unions held a meeting with the governor some days ago?
In our meeting with him, it was clear that the governor won’t implement the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, which is a benchmark for any state government who wants to run university. If the Lagos State Governor wants LASU to be like universities in all the states, he must implement the agreement.

For LASU, what are the issues at stake?

Let’s begin from funding. We want LASU to be properly funded. There should be adequate infrastructure, classrooms, libraries with latest books and journals, provision of well-equipped laboratories, replacement of Obsolete equipment most of the equipment on ground are obsolete. We want encouragement of research by provision of financial grants, promotion of scholarship through training, conferences, workshops, seminars, etc.

On conditions of service, these have to do with enhanced welfare packages for staff, unified salary structure (minimum). Implementing the minimum unified salary structure is the bone of contention because of the benchmark stipulated, as we want the “Lagos factor” built into it.

Can you explain what is meant by the Lagos Factor?

Yes. Like housing for instance; housing in Lagos is not like in Ondo, Ekiti, and so on. The cost of living in Lagos is higher. What ASUU agreement is saying is about minimum salary. It is left for the governing council to look at other things.

The agreement was submitted to council and it set up an ad hoc committee to look at the policy areas of the document. Report was submitted in March 2010 which council approved and ratified in April. This approved agreement by council was taken to the Lagos State government for necessary implementation. It was at this point that the deadlock came.

Why was there deadlock over implementation when council has ratified the agreement?

The Lagos State government wanted to erode the autonomy of the university. Normally, this is what we believe because half of the members of the governing council are government appointees. So for, government to say it cannot implement the agreement, this is not acceptable to ASUU. We can’t take it. Lagos State government never called us to ask or talk on the FGN/ASUU Agreement – privileged to salary alone, leaving other components.

But we are saying everything be adopted as most other states did, because degrees and certificates from LASU are not limited to Lagos alone. The governor is talking of federalism, yet there are benchmarks for political office holders in the country decided by the National Salary and Wages Commission. Also the 1999 Nigerian Constitution makes provision for a national minimum wage across the nation.

How was the situation at the last meeting with Governor Fashola?

On Monday, 6th December, 2010, the governor invited us, also the embattled VC whom the unions and House of Assembly have passed votes of no confidence on, the DVC, the governing council, provosts, rector and principal officers of tertiary institutions in Lagos State. the governor appealed for the strike to be suspended in the interest of students.

But unions said the government should honour the agreement which all the states have honoured and implementation commenced.

In the South East, the governors have yielded. What is delaying re-opening of the universities there is the mode of payment of arrears – how paying the arrears be spread hence the lecturers are still on strike.

We implore Lagos State to do same and address all the components of the agreement. Since the National Universities Commission (NUC) regulates all universities, LASU risks further deaccreditation of courses if the agreement is not implemented. But Governor Fashola reacted that he can’t implement the agreement because he believes in true federalism.

In terms of salary, he offered 25% of present salary being received and lumped us together with the civil servants.
Do you think this impasse can be broken?

Yes, if people appeal to him to implement the agreement like his counterparts in other states. He should do this in the interest of students, the populace and founding fathers of LASU. He inherited LASU peacefully because his predecessors have been honouring agreements based on the belief in one academic standard for the Nigerian University system.

So, he should follow the path of honour, implement the agreement and mode of paying arrears – now 18 months’s from July 1, 2099. Although teaching suspended, research still going on and also community development.

The deadlock can be resolved; but he is yet to see the reason for implementation. He will see reason with us, because he loves education, judging from his contribution to the development of University of Benin, his alma mater. The Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN had also praised him for his contributions. His counterparts in Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Edo have all implemented.

Ekiti even with two universities has implemented. So, he should not continue to waste time and not mortgage the future of students and staff and not seen as contributing to the decay of the system.

At the meeting, what were the contributions of the VC and other stakeholders?

All of them kept mute. No contributions at all from them.

Can you recall how the meeting ended?

The governor said he is not fighting with us, that he is still paying our salary and that it is when people have job that they can demand for increase in pay. He said he will do everything to beg us, but if we cannot be pacified, take the next steps that won’t be palatable to the unions.

Did the governor mention anything concerning the fate of the Vice Chancellor?

On the Vice Chancellor, he said a joint committee of the legislators and executive is working on that. He is still in office despite vote of no confidence passed on him. But the governor asserts he won’t remove him and that he can’t be forced to remove him.

What is happening to the report of the Visitation Panel instituted to look at the crisis in LASU which had since been submitted to government?

The government has not released the report of the visitation panel submitted to it nor any white paper. But meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor on whom the Lagos State House of Assembly and the unions have passed votes of no confidence cannot sit as a member of the university governing council.

He cannot also chair the congregation who will elect two members into the governing council. But the governor wants the indicted VC to chair the congregation’s election for the two slots in the council which the unions are opposing because it would amount to recognition  of the  VC that ought to be dismissed.

When Governor Fashola was asked why the Visitation Panel report has not been made public, he blamed this on the crisis still afflicting the university.