OpenLife Weekly Survey: ASUU, Federal Government’s Intractable Crises And Consequences On Students And Parents
By Adenike Ayankunle
As indications emerged weekend that the Federal Government may consider the option of proscribing the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU if it fails to call off the prolonged strike after an offer was made to it, OpenLife Nigeria, in its weekly review, zeroed in on the intractable crises that have rocked the Nigerian educational system in a manner that students have been off campuses for several months.
ASUU embarked on a month warning strike on February 14, 2022 and has been rolling over the strike till date, while the other three unions, starting with NAAT, downed tools in March.
The four university-based unions that have been agitating for the payment of earned allowances are ASUU, which calls its own Earned Academic Allowances, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, the Non-Academic Union of Education and Associated Institutions, NASU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT.
Among the contentious issues are the non-release of revitalization funds, earned allowances, problems associated with payment of salaries through the use of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS and the re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement.
While ASUU has insisted that its members should be paid through its preferred platform, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, UTAS, the non-teaching staff, especially SSANU and NASU, have designed their own payment platform, the University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System, U3PS.
All the three platforms have been submitted to the government through the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, which has subjected them to integrity tests.
As a remedy, the Federal Government has approved N50 billion to be shared by the university-based unions as earned allowances as well as an additional N100 billion for the university sector as part of the understanding in the re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement.
Following this, SSANU and NASU, through their umbrella, Joint Action Committee, JAC, on Saturday signed agreement to suspend the strike on Wednesday for two months. But ASUU has remained adamant, insisting that the government should pay its members the withheld five months salary before it would suspend the six months strike.
For ASUU, the Federal Government has invoked the ‘no work, no pay’ policy for the striking public university workers and the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu said that there is no going back on its total implementation.
Sadly, the ASUU strike is not helping matters with the situation of the students.
In the light of this, students, parents and most especially the ASSU bodies have called on the government to make amendment where possible to put an end to the long stay at home without lectures when academics are supposed to be on full board.
The APC led administration seems to be twisting the future of students
For instance, a situation where a child completes O’level to pursue a career in the tertiary institution and spends almost two years seeking admission diminishes value and enthusiasm.
In addition, there is every likelihood that a student, when admitted into a university for a four years course would probably spend seven years as a result of industrial actions.
For the medical students, they are likely to experience two sessions ASUU strike. Mathematically, it would be six mandatory years for the course plus two years of strike and a year for internship. This translates to 10 years spent just for a degree.
Without doubt, the APC government shares in this distasteful development.
Here are the reactions of some students and parents in view of the 2023 voting opportunity to either continue with APC or seek alternative.
Eboha Frank
The best solution is either government takes over every public and private universities or private sector takes over all public and private universities in Nigeria.
Government will release money to fund public schools and hospitals but the officials will divert the money to fund their private schools and hospitals. One will attend public school, they will embark on strike and tell masses to enrol their children in private schools. Public and private institutions will never exist hand in hand.
Akinleye Chris
I am not surprise that the same university students who have been on strike for some months now will still fight and vote the same set of people and ruling political party that kept them back from achieving their academic dreams while their children school abroad.
Morenike Olaoluwa
Well, it is because the federal government does not take our children’s education seriously. If not so, why aren’t they taking the issue of ASUU strike seriously?
If they can fund other things, why can’t they release fund for education too?
Oluwasola Gabriel
It seems this issue of strike is of no concern to the government because if so they should have resolves the issue before now. Even if you tell ASUU and FG that all the youths want to end their lives, they wouldn’t call off the strike. It won’t move them. All I have to say is vote for somebody that is better for the position so that we can be free from all these calamities they put their generations to.
Jide Bogunmbe
I don’t think I understand the problems of our government. Nigeria government doesn’t have money to settle ASUU so that we can go back to school but they have money to buy vehicles.
Philip Thompson
I really don’t blame the government and ASUU for their actions towards education in Nigeria. The truth is that assuming their children are also victims of ASUU strike, I strongly believe the educational status of Nigeria won’t be saggy as it is now because they won’t want their children to sit at home instead of being in school studying. They have planned the number of years their children are to be in school and graduate abroad and the rest can suffer. But for the citizens voting them into power? what plan do they have for us. Nothing! Why because they are selfish and heartless.
Samuel Damilare
I think its time to wise up in this country. If truly our governments are well educated and those certificates they claim are earned from their sweat and they know what education truly means and the worth of education, they won’t be dragging the issue of education like rope and wasting the precious time of the leaders of tomorrow like it’s nothing to them. As far as I am concerned, they really don’t care if the students are in school or not.
Oluwaseun Ajiboye
What is amusing me and giving me concern about this government is that there is no development in the educational sector. All what we see and hear of is strike upon strike.
Emmanuel Titilope
I am already fed up because of this situation. My daughter is supposed to graduate three months ago but due to the strike, she hasn’t. Her mates that were given admission at the same time have already graduated.
Since three months now, she keeps crying everyday and always complaining that she’s tired of sitting at home. I beg both the government and ASUU to please temper justice with mercy. Our children’s future are at stake here.
James Timothy
The leaders of this administration are not shameful. In fact, they are disgrace to governance.
Almost a session now, children are still sitting at home instead of being in school studying. Even some students can’t even remember what they did last in school. Yet, they would be claiming giant of Africa.
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