INCESSANT downing of tools by Nigerian
universities is bolstering the country’s ability
to afford yet another infamous title. Nigeria,
apart from gaining ascendency in the ranks of
corrupt nations, also constitutes itself into a
laughing stock for its inability to successfully
manage its burgeoning tertiary education
sector.
Expectedly, the country now prides itself
albeit shamelessly, as primus inter pares
among African countries, when it comes to
nations that have frequently witnessed
industrial actions called by lecturers in public
universities. .
At the centre of these recurring strikes,
evidences show, are the demand for higher
wages, enhanced conditions of service,
improved learning environment as well as
sorting out of matters relating to “earned
allowances” among others. .
Though not peculiar to Nigerian university
teachers, strikes have, in the past strengthened
the university teachers bargaining power,
thereby helping them to claw better pay and
attract improved conditions of service in many
countries. This is especially common in climes
where pay rise is not automatic in nature or
based on higher responsibilities not previously
envisaged. .
Whereas some African countries have
experienced spasms of lecturer’s strike, which
lasts anything from weeks to three months at
the maximum, Nigeria and Kenya have,
however, experienced prolonged university
teachers’ strikes that stretch up to a whole
year.
Strikes by their nature are highly disruptive
especially in a learning environment. Sadly,
they have become too frequent in the country.
The latest round embarked upon by university
lecturers in the country, under the aegis of
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on
July 1, was described by the Nasir Fagge-led
body as “comprehensive, total and indefinite.”
Among others, they are protesting the non-
implementation of some issues contained in an
agreement they entered into with the Federal
Government in 2009.
According to President, National Association
of Nigerian Students (NANS), Mr. Yinka
Gbadebo, the country has lost a total of 30
months to industrial unrest by the university
teachers in the last 10 years.
.
Gbadebo, while speaking to newsmen last
week in Lagos, lamented that students were
always at the receiving end, losing precious
time each time their teacher feud with their
employers. He questioned the use of strikes as
a weapon of seeking redress and attention.
He said NANS was no longer comfortable with
the debilitating effects of protracted and
incessant strikes the teachers were embarking
on.
On the current impasse, he said, “We hereby
disagree with ASUU on the notion that an
immediate release of N400 billion per annum
as being demanded will phase out the myriad
of problems confronting our universities. This
is not to celebrate the government, which in
an unprecedented manner, had shown
responsibility and concern by releasing N100
billion for infrastructural development in our
universities including those that are state
owned,” he said. .
While Nigerian university teachers find it
convenient to drive home their demands via
incessant industrial actions, many are of the
opinion that the strategy has lost the respect
of the students, their parents, some academics
and members of the public.
Countries like next door neighbour, Ghana,
Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania,
Burundi, Rwanda, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi,
Senegal, Sierra Leone, Morocco, Burkina Faso
among others, have each witnessed university
lecturers strike within the last decade or
thereabouts.
Apart from happening just twice or
thrice, most were, however, never prolonged
or recurrent. .
Safe for Morocco where lecturers called a
strike thrice in an academic session over pay
increase, strikes by university teachers in other
African countries, especially the non-oil
producing countries, are barely heard of.
However, since 1988 till date, ASUU’s
insatiable appetite for strike actions (having
called out its members severally), has taken
the country to the zenith of African countries,
whose public universities have witnessed the
highest number of industrial actions by
university teachers.
ASUU was formed in 1978, from what was
then known as the Nigerian Association of
University Teachers (NAUT), which itself came
into existence in 1965. During its initial years,
it served as an umbrella organisation for
academic staff in the University of Ibadan,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria, University of Ife and
University of Lagos.
During the military regime, it played an
active role in struggles against the military
regime during the 1980s. It was therefore not
surprising that it planned and hatched its first
organised nationwide strike in 1988 over
demand for fair wages and university
autonomy.
This forced the regime of Gen. Ibrahim
Babangida (rtd), to proscribe the union on
August 7, 1988, and confiscate its property.
Two years later, the ban was lifted following
series of appeals and negotiations by
stakeholders.
Barely two years after it resumed in 1990,
another strike was staged and the union, then
led by Prof. Attahiru Jega, (the then vice
chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, and
now chairman of the Independent National
Electoral Commission), was again banned on
August 23, 1992. However, an agreement was
reached on September 3, 1992 that met
several of the union’s demands including the
right of workers to collective bargaining.
Three months into that strike, Prof. Babatunde
Fafunwa, the then Education Minister led the
Federal Government delegation to sign an
agreement with ASUU for immediate
suspension of the strike. Not all, but
substantial amount of ASUU’s demands were
met, culminating in the return of lecturers to
the classrooms. .
In 1994 and 1996 respectively, ASUU also
called out its members on nation-wide strikes
during the era of the late Gen. Sani Abacha’s
regime. In 2007, lecturers again downed tools
for three months. In 2008, the shortest-ever
national strike took place. It was for only one
week because conditions requested were met
substantially. But in 2009, yet the university
lecturers called another strike. This time, it
lasted for three months. In October 2009
ASUU and other staff unions signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with the
government and called off the industrial
action. .
In 2011, Nigeria witnessed another national
strike by the lecturers, who shut down
university campuses. Within the period under
review, local branches of ASUU, have downed
tools immensely.
As the current strike action persists,
academic activities in public universities have
been grounded and a total of 78 universities,
made up of 40 owned by the Federal
Government and 38 belonging to the states
remain shut. Consequently, only the 50
privately owned universities are in session.
According to ASUU, the agreement it reached
with the Federal Government in 2009 was a
product of three years of negotiations, (from
2006 to 2009), which government pledged its
full support and funding. The union added that
it waited from 2009 to 2012 for the former to
fully implement that agreement, but was
alarmed by the selective implementation,
which saw only the salary component
implemented while ignoring the funding part.
But government also recently said that it had
released about N100b for infrastructural
development in the universities in its bid to
see the teachers return to the classrooms.
Expectedly, these recurring industrial actions
appear to constitute a source of worry to not
just members of the public, but also to the
lecturers themselves.
Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican
Communion, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, last
week while speaking in Bayelsa State, during
the Standing Committee Meeting of the
Bishops Conference of the church, called for
the disbandment of ASUU’s national body.
After describing the methods adopted by
ASUU as “immoral and self-enrichment,” he
stressed that, “The government should find a
way either to privatise the universities or get
ASUU to be limited to individual universities
such that there would be no national ASUU
body mandating even institutions without
grievances to go on strike.
“There is no such body anywhere in the
world. Challenges facing any institution should
be treated locally without involving others,”
said a miffed Okoh, who added that, “while the
ASUU strike lasts, university lecturers are busy
teaching in private universities (most of which
lack lecturers) and earning money and when
the strike is over, they will still be paid for the
period of the strike. This is highly immoral and
must be discouraged.”
The cleric, who urged government to accede
to ASUU’s demand as a short-term measure,
described the academic, moral and social
implications of the strike as enormous.
According to a lecturer at the University of
Nigeria, Nsukka, Mr. Jude Agbo, “incessant
strikes does not constitute the best way to
achieve our demands nor the best approach to
addressing problems that thwart the creation
of a perfect academic system. But a situation
where prevailing conditions call for it, we no
doubt have to take it up to ensure that our
demands are met or a dialogue is reached.”
Agbo advised “that the government should
endeavor to keep to its promises and honour
agreements entered into with the union,”
saying if this happens, ASUU would never down
tools for the fun of it, but was always
constrained to go that way when government
takes them for a ride by reneging on it words.
He advised government to, at all times, avoid
issues or situations that would bring about
discord between both parties so as to put a
permanent stop to the unnecessary,
impromptu national industrial actions.
Dr. Soji Oni of the Department of Sociology
Education, University of Lagos, believes that
strike remains the best way for lecturers to
press home their demands, as that is the only
language that the government understands.
Oni, however, said to put a permanent end
to strikes by university teachers and improve
the quality of education, government should
increase funding for tertiary education because
if the funding system were stable and reliable,
students’ academic demands would be met.
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