By Bin Haroun Sigau
Nigeria as a nation is going into total lockdown as a result of Corona Virus (Covid 19). University lectures are on lockdown since 30th January, 2020 when their salary was suspended due to IPPIS in the open and implementation and renegotiation of 2009 agreement hidden to the public.
The general populace are also expecting them to provide solution at the current trying moment. They are on trial and lockdown before the lockdown. The lockdown academic staff are tasked with developing future leaders. They're asked to conduct researchers to nature the next generation of political leaders, administrators, accountants, doctors, engineers, scientists and even business men with an empty stomach. What is the first battle, how to feed immediate family or the new lockdown affecting everybody.
I stated experiencing ASUU strike way back in 1992 as undergraduate student at Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto during the time of Dr Attahiru Jega, National Chairman ASUU with his blue Beatle Volkswagen when he visited to addressed us. Federal Government said they can't revitalized the University system, ASUU gave Government the option of Education Trust Fund (ETF) proposal now TETFund. It was only approved after the ASUU strike and we lost a year as students, but we all witnessed the impact of TETFund.
As an academic staff and member of ASUU my first strike was during General Sani Abacha era, military personnel were drafted to dispersed our Congress meetings nation wide, we continue the struggle and meeting under the trees with no salary (KO SISI). ASUU engaged the Federal Government during General OBJ who also stopped our salary for six months eighteen days, the remaining twelve days was paid on pro-rata basis and the struggle continue.
In 2008 ASUU provided pictorial documentation on state of decay in Universities. That forced Government to conduct NEEDS Assessment. ASUU wrote many letters and make contacts all in vain, only strike forced Federal Government to start implementing, the strike lead to 2009 agreement with Government that is yet to be fully implemented and part of the hidden reasons leading to current strike but the public are made to believe on fiction of IPPIS. That academic staff take many salaries.
The little gained in the University system are all product of 2009 agreement. Nothing happen in the University without ASUU using the last option of strike. Therefore ASUU remain the only union telling Government the truth of it's responsibilities and protecting the common man. Our children no longer go to public primary and secondary schools, but the University system is still protected for the common man.
The successes of all ASUU strikes were as a result of the support of the major stakeholders. We have four major stakeholders in the University system namely; I) Government II) Academic staff III) Students and IV) Parents. Academic staff through ASUU always try to engage Government and the remaining two stakeholders (students and parents) always support ASUU at last Government always conceded and will signed agreement. ASUU have to go on another strike to force Government to start implementing, once they fulfilled the first stage and ASUU are back to classes and laboratories, the remaining are kept in keep in view (K.I.V) file waiting for another strike. The tenure of President GEJ one of us also try to stop our salary for six months which didn't work.
Currently, we are in the era of developing a new fiction and selling to the public, which convinced students and parents to be on the side of Government. ASUU are on the current struggle alone, when it's conquered, that's the end of public universities in Nigeria. The politicians and money bags have already withdrawned their children from public Universities. They don't care what happen. It need to be keep in record that we fight to the last.
ASUU and all it's members are mostly forced to go on strike as the last option to forced Government to see the problems, go into negotiations and signed agreement. The million naira question is: if not strike what is the option available to ASUU that was not tried to forced Government to implement part of the agreement for the benefit of common man.
Since after my graduate studies and mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), we joined the University system as Graduate Assistant and currently as Professor of Agricultural Economics and Dean of my Faculty. I am gradually losing faith in the system. If during Baba Buhari tenure as democratically elected President, the World Bank technocrats still dictate and control what will happen in the University system, including employment of academic staff. We graduate to the time when Accountant General of Federation give directive to Vice Chancellors and the students, parents and general public see nothing wrong in that, Vice Chancellors now report more to Accountant General of the Federation than National Universities Commission (NUC) and Federal Ministry of Education. Then we are at the last bus stop.
I wish the students, parents and general public well, they should also not that, taking their enemies or oppressors as friends and their age long friends as enemies will only lead to disaster. A lot of fiction's and lies are in the open for public consumption, more especially social media. Once the Government control by World Bank technocrats finished with ASUU, which is about to happen, because the other two stakeholders are now on the side of Government. Let the entire society, more especially the common man bear the brunt.
This is exactly the current situation, the facts are hidden and fiction with no data presented to the public. Just like the National Assembly debate based on very few academic staff harassing female students. How I wish this our current female students are put under the care of National Assembly, Nigerian police/Army, Judiciary, Civil servants or any federal organization for only three (3) years and we compare the outcomes. When very few misbehaved, you strengthen the system to correct them, not putting all academic staff on defence. System is never define by the action and inaction of the very few. A comprehensive analysis need to be taken for clear conclusion. Hope I communicate the little I know about the system. The errors you observe are mine and i am using Corona Android phone from China, always changing my spelling and language. 😂😂😂🙏👏
Ahmed Bakori Mohammed Ph.D
Faculty of Agriculture
Bayero University, Kano
28th March, 2020.
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Labaran Duniya