Tertiary Institutions - One Strike Too Many

The Nigerian tertiary institutions were recently shut down following the strike embarked upon by both ASUP and ASUU. Blessing Ukemena writes on the effect on the already worn-out education sector

That the Nigerian educational system is in lamentable state is no longer news. However, that it is going to be shutdown completely should have everyone worried. The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) members have been on strike for over two months, and only last Monday, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has also embarked on an indefinite strike. Reasons for the strike of both unions include that the government did not honour the Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) it signed with ASUU in 2009 to solve issues of inadequate funding to provide necessary facilities in the universities, university autonomy, salary increase and allowances, among other issues.

In the words of the national president of ASUU, Dr. Nadir Isa Fagge, the strike was to be "total, comprehensive and indefinite"; very strong words, indicating that students will be staying at home for a very long time. The number of strikes embarked upon by the Nigerian academic is now so often that the government no longer sees it as a threat. These strikes have contributed to the decay gutting through tertiary institutions in the country. Dr. Fagge also said that "the academic calendar had already been affected.

For the fact that students were graduating, they do not even perform well when they get into the labour market. I don't really know what is our priority. Is it that we just continue churning out graduates with certificates who may not perform, because they have not been trained adequately as a result of lack of training facilities, research, laboratories, workshops and adequately equipped libraries?"

Many Nigerians outside the academia feel that the lecturers have lost their primary objective, and are allowed in their self-interests to help tear down the already damaged educational sector in Nigeria. What about the future of the students that are affected by these incessant strikes? With these strikes by ASUP and ASUU, all government universities and polytechnics will be shutdown and students are to remain home for God knows how long.

Dr. Charles Nweke-Aku, the head of Department, Public Administration, at the Nasarawa State University, stated that the strike was aimed at compelling the government to do what is right for the educational sector. "In the early '70s and '80s, Indian certificates were not acceptable in Nigeria because our standards were very high then, but look at what it has become today. People now go to India for medical checkup, because the Indians have advanced their educational sector to a point where their graduating doctors are well equipped and qualified to treat patients.

UNESCO's provision states that a country should allocate 26 per cent of their budget for education, but education is getting less than 12 per cent. Most of our higher institutions do not have libraries or an equipped laboratory. I also have children in the universities and they are at home too. So, it is not as though we are happy about it, but we just have to do this," he said, adding that, "How long shall we continue like this? Look at the way they waste money on defence, and see what is happening there today. They sit in there offices and do one programme that will cost billions of naira, yet our schools cannot boost of lab equipment. This is why our graduates cannot become inventors. We do not even have the means of adequate research in our schools, so how can our minds expand to develop new ideas? Any nation without inventors cannot go far," he said.

On their part, the academics have a different opinion on the strike from that of the general public. Some of the lecturers affirmed that the strike is in the interest of the students, but Mr. Yunusa Hamid of the Department of Political Science at the University of Abuja stated that he would rather not go on strike. He however stated that "the educational sector is decaying, and we have to do something now. Most of our government universities are like 'glorified secondary schools'. There is no other way to make the government listen. That is why we are doing this. Going on strike is now so common, but if the government had listened, this would not have happened."

Mr. Joseph Agbo, a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Arts at the Ebonyi State University, while speaking with Leadership Sunday, stated that "those in government do not care about what is going on in our higher institutions. That is because their children are schooling in Ghana or in Europe. If their children were in Nigerian schools, we would have a better system. We are not happy about going on strike, because some of our wives and children are in Nigerian schools.

But since the government does not want to keep to the Memorandum of Understanding we signed in 2009, then they should pay for it. Ghana that people are running to now was once on strike for two years. They stood their ground, until sometime was done by their government in putting their educational system as it is today. We can all go back to our farms for the next five years if need be."

An idle mind is the devil's workshop. If the thousands of students in government-owned universities and polytechnics are made to sit at home for too long without anything to occupy them, then it is likely they may become tools in the wrong hands. No one seems to be bothered about this.

But Mr. Kenneth Iheme of the University of Abuja said that it was the best course of action. "If something is not done now, then the next five years, even Togo will not take our graduates anymore. These politicians sit in their offices and squander the wealth of the nation, but we are the ones who made them who they are. If they just build some classrooms, they will call it a university. And this is where any person should come and be able to learn both practical and technical aspects of things," he stated.

In support of the ASUU strike, NLC President Abdulwaheed Omar declared that "we equally align ourselves with ASUU on its position on the economy; economic growth without jobs or development, is nothing." The Nigeria Labour Congress is deeply concerned about the on-going nationwide strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). For them, the strike action is completely avoidable, but made inevitable by the Federal Government's insensitivity, and a penchant for not keeping to agreements.

While speaking with some of the affected students, many were not happy with the situation. Patrick Mande, a student of Sociology at the Nasarawa State University, said: "This is exactly why it takes too long to graduate from a Nigerian university. God only knows when this strike will be called off. I will have to go and look for any menial job to do for now, till they decide to call off the strike." Mercy Rufus, also a student at Nasarawa State University, gave her opinion thus, "This is not fair to us, the students. How long will we continue to go on strike? Now I can only go and stay at home or look for a job. Does it mean there is no alternative to going on strike?"

One of the academic staff at the Nasarawa State University, Mrs. Joy Adua, was not in support of the strike as well. "There are so many things that are wrong with our system. The allowances that one senator receives is so much, yet the teachers and lecturers are suffering. But I do not support this strike, because it would mean that the life of the students, who are already in school will be on hold. What kind of job will they be doing without a certificate? And God knows when they will eventually call off the strike. I have two children in the higer institution, but what can I do?" she lamented.

Peter Itodo, who studies Public Administration at the Usman Danfodio University in Sokoto State also spoke his mind to Leadership Sunday. "Well, if the union has decided to go on strike, then it should be for the best. I think that if this will make things better for the students, then they should go ahead. But, they should be ready to go all the way and not compromise if the government gives them some millions to be quiet," he said.

A Political Science student at the University of Abuja, Malik Ibrahim, said that the union was not fair to the students. "Why are they not thinking of the parents and students that have to bear the brunt of their actions? The academic calendar is already disrupted and when they resume, they will now come to rush us into exams. We are tired of this strike everytime. The government is no longer afraid of strike."

The president of ASUP, Mr. Chibuor Asomugha, said that the ASUU strike was independent of that of the ASUP, but however it would be wrong for people to think that the strike was in the interest of lecturers alone. "Everything we are doing is for the students. Just like the issue of degree dichotomy between universities and polytechnics that is in the interest of the students. We are trying to prevent a total collapse of the educational system. We have been discussing with the government since last year. We have employed all means as to reason with them, and they refused to listen. It is the government that has the key to turn this situation around," he said. He also insisted that despite the fact that the calendar would be affected, it was the best cause of action and that the strike was the fault of the government.

Asomugha, however, disclosed that the Senate has shown interest in resolving the matter. Meetings have been held through the week between ASUP and the Senate Committee on Education to bring an end to the ASUP strike. Asomugha, who described the meeting with the Senate Committee as fruitful, said "definite assignments were given to different stakeholders, with Tuesday next week as deadline for results." Nigerian students in polytechnics will be holding their breath till then.

If nothing is done soon, the strike thus implies that students will be out of school for a long while, but the proponents of the strike believe it is in the interest of not just the students but the economy as well. With so many unemployed graduates roaming the streets, it may be even more difficult for the undergraduates to get any job, hence they would have to wait until the strikes end. It is hoped that the solution given this time would be a lasting one, to stop Nigerian universities from churning out half-baked graduates.