Gov Peter Obi, Babatunde Fashola , Sullivan Chime and Gbenga Daniel

By Emmanuel Edukugho
Governors in South-East, South-West and South-South geo-political zones of the country are locked in what seems to be an unending battle with lecturers in universities owned by states in the aforementioned areas over enhanced salary.

Some of the state governments have chosen not to even attempt to begin implementation of the ASUU/FGN Agreement 2009.

There was a benchmark set by the agreement which recognised one University system in Nigeria. It is for this reason that the nation has a single National Universities Commission (NUC) which sets, monitors and enforces standards regardless of ownership of Universities in the country.

Some stakeholders reached, said that for a viable and standard university system in the country, state governments are expected to adopt the agreement as a benchmark of achieving the same kind of academic standard.

Representatives of all the state-owned Universities, federal and private universities inclusive, negotiating teams comprising federal and state officials worked out the agreement that ended a prolong national strike called by ASUU in 2009.

The council of state made up of President Goodluck Jonathan, former heads of state and all the governors of the 36 states approved the agreement. By this, it was supposed to be binding on all the universities across the country including private ones.

However, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State has insisted that the agreement signed by the Federal Government and ASUU has nothing to do with state and private universities.

According to him, none of the state universities in the South-East, South-West and South-South has implemented the new salary structure including Lagos and Rivers States with their huge revenue allocation.

But he said that Anambra State government was taking necessary measures to resolve the issues, adding, that already 50% increase has been offered to the striking lecturers.

All the Universities owned by state governments in the south-east have been shut since July when the lecturers embarked on strike to press for the full implementation of the ASUU/FGN Agreement.

The defaulting governors are blaming dwindling revenue for inability to implement the agreement.

Professor Emmanuel Ajisegiri, Zonal Co-ordinator, Ibadan Zone of ASUU disagreed.

“Both the Lagos and Ogun governments have adequate financial endowment to fund their universities.

What is lacking is the will to prioritise government commitments and fund the universities to the advantage of the people of Lagos and Ogun States. If Ekiti, Kogi and Niger States can implement the agreement, Lagos and Ogun States have no excuse not to implement the agreement.”

In the South-East, while the governors are saying that they don’t have the mney to fund implementation, insensitivity and nonchallant attitude to education, coupled with bad governance combined to worsen the crisis. They have failed to realise the need to make education what it ought to be.

ASUU National President, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie attributed wastage of public fund by our rulers for the crisis. Billions of naira are paid as salaries and allowances to political office holders – National Assembly members, state legislators, ministers, multitude of senior special assistants, special assistants, assistants, special advisers, advisers, 36 governors, deputy governors, wives, etc, all of them feeding fat on government money.

Most of our rulers carry money abroad, build mansions and estates everywhere, and keep huge amount of money for second and third terms political ambition.
If corruption can be fought at all levels of government, surely there will be money enough to fund education.

Governors of states where University lecturers are on strike over enhanced pay packages should allow good conscience to dictate their actions.

Most students in the affected universities want a rethink by governors and meet the demands of lecturers. Poor funding, lack of conducive teaching environment had impacted negatively on lecturers and students.

Said chairman, ASUU-UNIUYO, Akwa Ibom, Ashong Ashong:
“If they accede to the principle of having one university system, not several in the country, then they must in all fairness adopt this agreement and implement same as part of the minimum standards of which NUC is custodian.”

The nature of the 2009 agreement has to do with the following:
* To reverse the decay in the university system in order to reposition it for greater responsibilities in national development.

* 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.

* To restore Nigerian Universities through immediate, massive and sustained financial intervention.

* To ensure genuine university autonomy and academic freedom.
This situation cuts across the entire sectors of Nigerian Universities.

The governors are trying to justify their actions by maintaining that the agreement is not binding on them because it is a federal document purely affirmed by the president. They were relying on section 2.5 of the agreement titled Benchmark For The University System.

It read inter alia:
“Where as the agreement is directed towards ensuring that there is a viable university system with one rather than a multiple set of academic standards; and where it is recognised by the negotiating teams that education is on the concurrent list and by this agreement, Federal Government does not intend to and shall not couple the state governments to implement the provisions of the agreement in respect of their universities, it is however recognised that the state governments shall be encouraged to adopt this agreement as benchmark; if they are to operate within the goals of achieving the same sets of academic standard for their institutions within Nigeria’s University system.” The striking South East lecturers have argued that this section in the agreement was not to give the governors the freedom to operate within an agreed benchmark which the 2009 Agreement represents.