“Elections, unfortunately, can only determine who has the most support among the candidates and not who is the most competent of them all. We have no way of knowing who will do well. Performance is not determined by campaign poetry or the ability to make an authoritative PowerPoint presentation. Competence is not determined by popular vote. Nowhere in the world is an election guaranteed to elect the best candidate. Rather, elections determine the candidate or the party with the most support. We need to let this fact sink in well.” – Simon Kolawole @ Thisday @ 13th November 2022.

Aftermath of the primary elections in the parties in the run off to the June 18 gubernatorial election in Ekiti State, this columnist had a significant encounter with an experienced grassroot politician. In my shuttling between Lagos and Ekiti, my home state, to conduct ethnographic research study of the people, politics and politicking, my path crossed with this politician as I engaged him in dissecting issues of concern as to who would likely emerge as the man in the saddle come 16th of October 2022 as the de jure Governor of Ekiti State. He did not mince words as he posited proudly that BAO (Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji) of APC would convincingly win and be elected as the helmsman in Ekiti in the 18th June election. Then, I confronted him, as an analyst cum social and public affairs commentator on the rising profile of Engr. Segun Oni, the gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). It is instructive to pontificate that as at the time of my engaging this politician, Segun Oni’s popularity was raving and roaring in the social media and airwaves all over in Ekiti and beyond. In fact, a leading chieftain of his party once proudly posited: “we are the only one campaigning, others had gone under …” So, it seemed! However, unknown to him, the APC as this columnist was reliably informed by one of its key leaders strategically engaged in silent but salient campaigns to outsmart the opposition. Back to my encounter with this grassroot politician. He responded by saying something that succinctly sunk into my memory even as I am writing this piece. To him: “Segun Oni has the crowd whilst we (APC) have the people.” It was as the results were trickling in the aftermath of the 18th June election that the import of that seemingly terse but tantalizing statement started making meaning to the discerning minds including this columnist. In essence, in the lexicon of Nigeria’s polity, politics and politicking, crowd and people are not synonymous. Putting it simply and squarely, the crowd has no electoral value when it comes to election while your “own people”, as a candidate vying for an elective post, will side and stand with you on the day of election. In my engagement with this versatile grassroot politician, he made another poignant but powerful statement that etched in my memory as well: “making noise is not synonymous with music.”, interpreted in Yoruba common parlance as: “ariwo ko ni music.” Ace columnist, Simon Kolawole riveted home some salient and succinct stand and stake of this grassroot politician when he posited in his column thus: “Elections, unfortunately, can only determine who has the most support among the candidates and not who is the most competent of them all … Competence is not determined by popular vote. Nowhere in the world is an election guaranteed to elect the best candidate. Rather, elections determine the candidate or the party with the most support. We need to let this fact sink in well.” – Simon Kolawole, Thisday, Sunday, 13th November 2022.

Politicians, Parties and People

As the 2023 presidential election beckons, certain core, crucial and critical conditions will determine the outcome or dictate the direction of the swinging of the pendulum. As succinctly and saliently stated in a previous article in this column, the race towards the February 2023 election, about three months from now, is between three parties and three politicians. The people (followers) are the deciders. The three parties alphabetically listed are: All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), and People Democratic Party (PDP). This columnist does not see the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) going far into the marathonic presidential race. In fact, in the long run, NNPP and the flagbearer may later step down for one of the leading contenders as the race to Aso Rock hots up early in 2023. In contrast, the politicians to watch out for in the hotly contested race are: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC; former Governor Peter Obi, the flag bearer of the LP; and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. Putting it into context, a keen observer could perceive the jostling and juggling for the people’s attention from these parties and politicians flying their flags. Is it then baffling and bewildering that some of their supporters had gone low in character assassination, campaign of calumny and mudslinging in order to gain attraction and attention of the people? It is high time the National Assembly (NASS) crafted a law with strong punitive measures against purveyors and originators of fake news! It is disheartening and degrading for an up-and-coming television station, Arise News, to be in the news for the wrong reason. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refuted any purported plan to investigate Tinubu with the intention of disqualifying him for the race. Arise News, in a seemingly pedestrian, petty, puerile and partisan posture, was vociferous in announcing to the whole world of this unverified “news”! Regrettably, the management issued a rebuttal and requested for forgiveness from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The latter is yet to personally speak whether the public apology as done was accepted or not. If I were in the camp of Asiwaju, there would have been two options I would have proffered to serve as deterrent to erring junk journalists in future. One: approach a court of competent jurisdiction to sue Arise News. Two: charge the station to desist forthwith from airing anything on the APC’s flagbearer’s personality, pedigree and political moves except news that have been verified from appropriate sources till the election of February 2023 is over. The conundrum cum confusion that DAAR Communications, owners of African Independent Television (AIT), entered into that almost sounded the death knell of the organization in 2015/2016 ought to teach other media outfits the need to tread warily and watchfully. DAAR Communication had to seek out of court settlement whilst begging for forgiveness seeing the N150 billion suit dangling on its head as the sword of Damocles! In his characteristic magnanimity, Asiwaju Tinubu forgave the organization and moved on.

In essence, there are three politicians standing out for election: Atiku Abubakar, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Peter Obi. In a way, and to some extent, some people, not the motley crowd, will base their choices partly on the profiles, pedigrees, personalities, past performances and politics of these individuals. In essence, the choices made by some come February 2023 will hang on one or two or all of these identified traits and preferences. Firstly, with the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, he was the erstwhile No. 2 personality in the two terms of former President Olusegun Obasanjo that took oversight of the economy especially the controversial privatization scheme that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo did not have palpable palatable perspectives on in his treatise: “My Watch.” This columnist would not want to digress into the denigrating remarks of Chief Obasanjo which the handlers of the PDP candidate has not bothered to address and which are widely published. They need to go this route for the people to side and support the candidate of PDP. As for the LP candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, there were 8 points of concerns raised by someone and published online. These eight points rubbished the purported refined personality, profile and pedigree of Obi. The Obidient movement, as Peter Obi’s adherents and admirers loved to be called, should interrogate and interface their leader on these publicised apparent aberrations. Elder statesman, Dr. Femi Orebe, in his column in the Nation (Sunday, 13th November 2022), referring to this, stated inter alia: “… Peter Obi, of the “Pandora Papers fame, loves to present himself as an advocate of good governance and transparency. “In speeches and in print” wrote Premium Times, he reels out his numerous business affiliations and accomplishments.” It is high time he addressed these seeming accusations. Lastly, Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the erstwhile Governor of Lagos State for 8 years from 1999 to 2007 in which virtually all socio economic and political indices revved up. Significantly, the internally generated revenue (IGR) was raised from N600 million per month to about N7 billion per month. Is Bola Ahmed Tinubu a saint? Definitely not! He, as a human being, has his own shortcomings or frailties. There are cases of controversial age disparity, confusing educational background and mysterious wealth that his opponents could not understand the source. In the next edition of this series, I would share a story along that line. However, at one point or the other, he towers above the other contenders in personally responding to these allegations or accusations, and in most cases, his handlers have been swift in responding to anyone who raises dust on these and other issues. In actual fact, some of the things being raked up in nailing Tinubu were as archaic and atavistic as events that occurred in 2003! Imagine the accusation of drug dealing against his (Tinubu’s) person which he himself, as it was breaking online, was unperturbed as he referred to it as an issue “as dead as dodo.” Funny indeed, but factual in content and context! What is dodo in Yoruba? It is sliced-fried plantain!!

Conclusively, as Nigeria inches closer to the February 2023 presidential elections, in the word of ace columnist, Simon Kolawole, the pendulum will swing in the direction of the outstanding aspirant, on any of the platforms that the people have sympathy and support for within the cranny and context of the country called Nigeria. The people (followers) are the deciders; albeit majority may not match their choices with the competence or character or credibility of the candidates. This is one irony of democracy! Follow me in the next edition of the series as we fixate on the people and platforms. Will the pendulum swing in relation to the platforms – parties?  Thank you for your continuing interest in the column as you read, reflect and share with others whilst awaiting your genuine and germane feedback.

John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – Harvard-Certified Leadership Strategist, and also a Development Consultant, can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

“. . . Will the state and federal government continue to fund education while the universities remain at the apron strings of governments … It has been this weapon of strike … How far has it taken our educational system? How has our educational system fared? ASUU should stand down on this and see this as the realistic time to begin to talk about autonomy of our universities.” (sic) – Dr. John Ekundayo, TVC News, 27th August 2022 (available on YouTube)

Samuel Ekundayo was just completing his first degree in a United Kingdom (UK) university. The whole programme was run in Singapore. The degree awarded was as though he attended the university in the main campus in the UK. It was done in record time! As he was concluding his first degree in Engineering Business Management, he applied for his master’s degree in Knowledge Management in the Singapore Government owned Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. It was supposed to be a one-year programme. He was offered admission. This columnist, his father, was counting months, and was surprised when Samuel mooted his writing of the final examination. It was just into the 10th month of the programme! In essence, he concluded the programme before the end of the 11th month!! Hungering for more, he was offered a PhD admission in Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand, to read and research about Information Communication Systems in 2009. He completed his PhD in 2012. It would be intriguing and interesting to state that Samuel Ekundayo left the shores of Nigeria in April 2006. He left after completing 2 sessions out of a 5-year mechanical engineering programme at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Nigeria. It is unsettling and appalling to state that his classmates that he left behind at LAUTECH were about graduating from the 1st degree programme while Samuel Ekundayo had completed his PhD in New Zealand. Figuratively, that is the peril of attending a public university in Nigeria: it is a seeming life waster of some sort! Any other option for parents and guardians who could not afford private university or overseas education? This columnist, being a missionary in Singapore, at that time, facilitated Samuel Ekundayo’s story for there was no way for me and my wife as his parents to have required resources to afford the cost of his education.

As the dust is settling on the calling off of the nagging and hurting strike embarked upon by members of embattled Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), definitely there are “lessons learnt” in the whole saga that going forward should be a sad reminder to all stakeholders concerned in the protracted imbroglio that it was reproving route not to be treaded again: no, not in the future!

Gbajabiamila: Shining Like Stars, But …

It was regrettable and shameful that the duo of the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu; and Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, failed to dutifully and sagaciously address the lecturers’ grouse with the government. It was an apparent ego boosting that the citizens could perceive throughout the 8 months of the lecturers’ intransigence. This was more discernible taking cognizance of the apparent playing the ostrich role of the Minister of Labour and Employment. It was turning into a campaign issue that the opposition was already using against the ruling party, yet a sitting minister and politician was indifferent to the chances of his party melting before his very eyes! Possibly he needs to be asked pointedly: where does Dr. Chris Ngige belongs or on whose side is he standing? Any wonder, in his interview on “Politics Today” on Channels TV he was taciturn in endorsing the APC flag bearer in the February 2023 presidential election, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Can anything good come out from Nazareth? This was the initial reaction of many Nigerians when the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, waded into the seemingly intractable imbroglio between ASUU and the Federal Government. However, in empathetically and painstakingly listening to the embattled lecturers, he and his colleagues at the green chamber were able to amplify their grouse through to the top echelon of government at the centre. It was an upbeat Gbajabiamila that first of all hinted the nation that there would be light at the end of the tunnel. It was on record that many believed to the contrary as similar interventions had somersaulted earlier. In a jiffy, the coast was cleared for ASUU to call off the strike and the Federal Government too adjusted the incalcitrant position of “no work, no pay” rule that the Minister of Labour and Employment exploited and explored to poison the minds of the lecturers whilst unduly prolonging the strike. As at the time of going to the press, universities have started announcing the resumption dates with the benignly beleaguered and battered students elated to be back on the campuses after almost a session of unwarranted cessation from learning. It is commendable on the part of the Honourable Speaker and his men even as the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Waba, valued this mediatory role of the parliamentarians. Is it yet Uhuru? This columnist does not think so.

Education Stakeholders: Agenda Setting for Autonomy is imperative!

Without being told, ASUU should know that the country is tired of playing the strike option to show discontentment to the government’s non-conforming or non-compliance to mutual agreement. Whilst this columnist is not holding brief or defending the government, it is high time for all major stakeholders in tertiary education to put heads together and discard the hitherto awkward, antiquated and atavistic arrangement of our universities depending on government subventions to service these tertiary institutions. It is high time our universities ran autonomously: whether owned by state or federal government. This is the practice in developed and sane climes and countries. This is why there is no occasion for lecturers and administrators in such institutions downing tools. In essence, universities’ calendars are strictly adhered to and students pass out as scheduled with qualitative cum didactic impartation. What is the approach to be employed to realize this? The stakeholders should come together under an umbrella and exploit the window opened by the leaders of the National Assembly in resolving the apparently intractable infraction of the eight-month strike. This time around, advocating for realistic autonomy of the universities: whether owned and operated by states or federal government. The dialogue, discourse and debate should commence in earnest so that the incoming government by May 2023 will sooner or later not find herself enmeshed or entangled with similar or sorer strike. However, the governments – state and federal – should be sincere and be ready to let go of the aprons’ strings of these institutions. There could be a transition window from partial autonomy to full autonomy which should be mutually agreed upon. This could span from two to three years. At the attainment of full autonomy, each university should source for its funding for all cases: academic, research, administrative and sundry expenses. Equally, each institution should dictate what fees to be paid by categories of students and simultaneously determine what it would pay her staff. Going this route will give room for creativity and innovation as it is the norm in the running of universities in developed climes and countries. This way, the expected pathway of honour for our universities characteristically exhibiting and exemplifying the cherished gown, crown and town decorous demeanour will be positively perceived and achieved. I am looking forward to a time, similar to the story of Samuel Ekundayo shared at the outset of this essay, when an Ade or Chukwu or Musa will commence and conclude a UK degree in partnership with a Nigeria university or alternatively earned a double degree joining the two universities at it is the norm in developed climes and countries. This is what inculcation of full autonomy would address and bequeath. It is doable!

• Ekundayo, Ph.D. can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

“… a new breed of enlightened, thoughtful, knowledgeable politicians with integrity and character, who are courageous, broadminded, balanced and are capable of living beyond their close circle to set a new path to our national rediscovery.” – Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State Governor, in his latest book: “Unfinished Greatness: Envisioning a New Nigeria.”

In a nascent democracy such as Nigeria’s, the process of picking a successor for an incumbent president or governor is more often than not arduous and onerous within a major political party. A case in point was when the erstwhile Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was about exiting office having served two terms in accordance with the dictates of the Constitution of Nigeria. It was on record that many politicians were jostling and juggling in joining the fray of contesting for the prime and plum job of governing the Centre of Excellence. Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, popularly referred to as BRF by his admirers, served Tinubu as his Chief of Staff, after Mr. Lai Mohammed, formerly occupying the post decided to throw his hat into the ring as one of the gubernatorial contestants in Kwara State. Covertly, BRF was thrown up as the anointed candidate of the incumbent helmsman of Lagos at the time. As expected, initially, there was such a hoopla and hullaballoo within the ruling party in the state. Eventually, the dust settled and Fashola emerged as the party’s candidate and ultimately won the gubernatorial election to be the man in the saddle in the state of aquatic splendour. This columnist did research work on Fashola’s leadership approach in Lagos exploring and exploiting mixed methods – quantitative and qualitative. The outcome was a book published in 2013 by AuthorHouse UK with the title: “Out of Africa: FASHOLA – Reinventing Servant Leadership To Engender Nigeria’s Transformation.” The research – based treatise is available on Amazon.com – both in e-book and paperback editions. There was a succinct and salient statement made about one core competence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), within the content of the book. In dedicating the treatise, the author, simply and squarely scribed: “This book is specially and specifically dedicated to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the erstwhile Governor of Lagos State, political mentor of Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, who with intellectual and prophetic insight saw Fashola as a “gold in the rubbles” if picked and properly polished. He did that against all odds and the outcome is this book …” The winning streak of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) (later APC) commenced in Lagos and spread in subsequent years to Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, Edo, Ondo, Oyo, etc. Any lesson to learn, unlearn and relearn in the context of Ekiti – the hilly domain of the community of cognoscenti and connoisseurs, nationally or notionally?

Unifying Point In JKF’s Unfinished Greatness Story

In the first term of Dr. John Kayode Fayemi (JKF) as the Governor of Ekiti State, it was widely known that his developmental strides were phenomenon but was seemingly not in consonant or congruent with the constituents from community to community which the main opposition exploited in injecting the infamous “stomach infrastructure” into the political lexicon of the Fountain of Knowledge as Ekiti State is known. It was palpably painful as the APC lost to PDP in that election of June 2014 despite the distinguished developmental delivery of the APC’s government led by Fayemi. It is ironic that in the aftermath of the gallant loss, JKF stoically and poignantly pontificated that “a new sociology of the Ekiti people evolving”, taking cognizance of the disposition of Ekiti people vis – a – vis the outcome of the election. However, it was later revealed that the insidious and invidious invasion of Ekiti with federal forces fully funded to induce the followers seemingly and unfavourably gave the winning edge to the PDP. The rest is history. God owns vengeance and recompense. Fayemi finally found his way back to Oke Ayoba, the Ekiti Government House, in June 2018 albeit with a narrow margin of victory. Anyway, in democracy, a margin of one vote is a win; in essence, every voter matters as every vote equally counts.

Read Also: Fayemi elected president of Africa’s Forum of Governors

Fayemi’s second coming commenced with a remarkable difference not just in developmental strides but in courting diversified strata of Ekiti people. In this aspect, kudos should be extended worthily to his charismatic and adoring wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, for her iconic role: some not even overt in shaping events positively unknown to many people who might perceive her role as too intrusive. I quite remember that from the inception of his second term, he embarked on a “thank you” tour of the three senatorial districts in Ekiti. Particularly, the visit to Ido Ekiti was significant to this columnist. His Royal Highness, Oba Ayorinde Ilori Faboro, the Olojudo of Ido Ekiti, had invited yours sincerely as an elite of the ancient town to be present at the august gathering. At the instance of Kabiyeesi mentioning my name among people sitting almost towards the back of the venue, I was shocked when Governor Fayemi beckoned that I should come and sit at a vacant seat beside him. Then, this columnist perceived innately that a new Fayemi has mounted the saddle having discerned or decoded the sociology of Ekitkete. He settled in governance and proved his mettle in many frontiers albeit paucity of funds due to the dipping economy apparently slowing him down.

Fayemi employed and explored ingenuity in paying the UBEC counterpart fund covering 2015 to 2021 – a humongous sum of N7.8 billion. This bold step greatly enhanced a litany of facelifts to primary education in the state and part of the outcome was that Ekiti State came first among states having the least number of out of school children. In addition, there is an increase in enrollment in both primary and secondary education. In the area of infrastructure, based on the need of the people, certain critical roads projects were commenced and completed such as Oye-Iye-Otun road, Aromoko-Erinjiyan-Ikogosi, Agbado-Ode-Isinbode-Omuo, New Ado-Iyin, Ilawe-Igbaraoke, and Ilupeju-Ire-Igbemo-Ijan. In addition, there is improvement in water and sanitation (WASH) as three major dams, namely, Ero, Egbe, and Ureje were overhauled with a reticulation (pipe laying and connections) covering kilometres spanning many towns and villages in Ekiti resulting in supplying pipe borne water in virtually most nooks and crannies of Ekiti. An icing on the cake, even though typically landlocked and uninviting to investors, the JKF administration initiated the cargo airport project (listed for commissioning possibly within the week), thus making Ekiti attractive to local and global investors and tourists. More importantly as Ekiti is basically an agrarian state, it would boost agribusiness a lot. There are other areas that the JKF administration has touched lives.

This columnist would want to pinpoint the initiative of the 1st Lady in women empowerment, curtailing of sexual abuse and promoting charity causes. Recently in the news was the case of a 71-year-old retired priest whose wife was delivered of triplets. Erelu Bisi Fayemi was on the way to an event when she had to make a detour to the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti to felicitate and encourage the parents of the triplets. This is remarkable! JKF’s term ends on 15th October 2022, however, a worthy successor will pick up the gauntlet!

Beginning of BAO’s Strategic Governance

Myles Munroe, leadership practitioner and minister once pontificated: “… success without a successor is failure. So your legacy should not be in buildings, programs, or projects; your legacy must be in people.”  Dr. John Kayode Fayemi lived up to this billing in his second coming. In rounding up his second term and in his quest to bequeath legacy, JKF penned a book titled: “Unfinished Greatness: Envisioning a New Nigeria”, within the covers of the treatise, Dr. Fayemi made bare his heart on who is likely successor would be if given the chance to partake in the process. The book’s public presentation was held in Abuja at the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Conference Centre, Kado on the 17th February 2022. As revealed within the covers and contents of the treatise, Fayemi’s tinkering was overtly depicted when he surmises “a new breed of enlightened, thoughtful, knowledgeable politicians with integrity and character, who are courageous, broadminded, balanced and are capable of living beyond their close circle to set a new path to our national rediscovery.” In throwing up the process that finally picked Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO), kudos should be given to JKF.

History will justify and repay him for letting the researcher and scholar in him take precedence over political, parochial, personal or partisan peculiarity, preference and perspective. As written in Dr. Femi Orebe’s column (Nation newspaper), the process deployed was an impartial poll involving possible contenders to the throne. It was done twice: the pointer or pendulum of the polls fixated on BAO as the likely and worthy successor to JKF. It initially caused some furor or rumpus within the kitchen cabinet; the leadership dexterity of JKF and wife calmed frayed nerves and brought the family of APC together for the victory of Oyebanji at the 18th June 2022 gubernatorial poll in which Oyebanji won in 15 out of 16 local governments with a whopping margin of over 100, 000 votes! BAO, on Tuesday 26th April 2022 at Archbishop Biodun Adetiloye Hall, Ado Ekiti, unveiled his manifesto containing 6 Strategic Actionable Pillars. This columnist was present; the epochal event was massively attended.

Subsequently, this columnist engaged BAO in one-to-one jaw – jaw relating to the actualization or operationalization of his 6 Strategic Actionable Pillars. The details will be presented in the next edition of this column, by God’s grace, which providentially falls on his official inauguration as the de jure Governor of Ekiti State.

In conclusion, what should Ekitikete look up to as from 16th October 2022? Will Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) hit the ground running? What style of leadership is his administration going to exhibit and exemplify within a few months of his being in the saddle? Will BAO justify the great confidence reposed in him by his mentor and coach, JKF? In closing, it is good for the record to posit that the tinkering and theory of JKF in leadership succession is not peculiar to him alone as postulated by the highly revered Nigeria’s globally acclaimed novelist and social commentator, Professor Chinua Achebe: “Chief Obafemi Awolowo does have a reputation for seeking out and using talent … Awolowo’s team of state executives has men of undoubted ability … Bola Ige … Bisi Onabanjo, …” (p. 61, Trouble With Nigeria, Fourth Dimension Publishers, 1983). The late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, amplified this trait in governance. The impact was sustainably phenomenal! In this vein, as JKF passes the baton to BAO, will the latter learn to headhunt for competent, capable and credible men and women that would be co – travelers in the leadership journey of transforming Ekiti? In this regard, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji should see himself highly favoured as the youngest member of that committee for the creation of Ekiti State with a golden opportunity to engineer things right in order to witness the Ekiti of the dreams of the forefathers. Interesting, elder statesman, Chief Deji Fasuan, the Chairman of that historic committee just celebrated his 91st birthday a few days ago. Personalities like him should have reasons to jubilate and celebrate now that one of the uniquely bred home boys is mounting the saddle. Time will tell!

• John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – Harvard-Certified Leadership Strategist, and also a Development Consultant, can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

“If bad and inexperienced politicians control power in Nigeria, my wealth may turn into poverty, and I am not ready to become a poor man.” – Aliko Dangote

It was in 1972. This columnist departed his hilly hometown, somewhere tucked in the south west section of Nigeria, for Ibadan, the then capital city of Western State. It was an experience exuding elation and excitement beyond description for a village boy making such a euphoric entry into the city having heard a lot of fascinating stories about Ibadan and Lagos – two cities he yearned or longed to visit or reside in! The trip from the hinterland of Ekiti to Ibadan was a pleasurable one with fewer vehicles on the well tarred road. The greenery of the uplands adjoining the stretch of inter – town highways and roads was so alluring as well as adoring to be ignored. Yours sincerely settled in Ibadan with a close relative who doubled as my guardian. Life was good in those days of yore as power outages occurrence was seldom, and shorter in duration, if and when they occurred as the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN) was better managed. Our water taps were not dry either as water supply, though not regular, was not in short supply from the Asejire Water Works, near Ibadan. Moreover, foodstuffs items were really affordable for my guardian who was a junior level civil servant of Western State. We were eating the best of meals as yours sincerely would be the one going to the market to get food items and sometimes cooked for the house having undergone the proper tutelage. Notably, and of significance to this essay was the information platforms of those days of yore. The radio, television and newspapers – nothing of digital social media as we enjoy these days! There were two newspapers that my guardian subscribed to – the Sunday Times and New Nigeria. The latter was a delight for my guardian and he encouraged me to be an avid newspaper reader as a primary school pupil. He instructed me to read the New Nigeria newspaper as well as novels to better my mastery of the English language. It paid off as I was later representing my secondary school in debate and essay competitions even from my penultimate years in the college. The New Nigeria newspaper! Wondering now, why the tabloid should be named: New Nigeria? What was new in Nigeria then? Or, were the visioners who set up the tabloid envisaging the emergence of a better country than what was being savoured at that season of life? Can one wish, albeit regrettably or inopportunely, a reverting to such a time as in the early and mid-70s? Are we truly nearing a New Nigeria of the dreams of our forefathers, in colour, content and context with the vagaries of the plethora of problems pillorying this country presently that could apparently dim the hope of incurable optimists imagining a beautiful, better and brighter Nigeria?

Let Leaders Learn

There is no gainsaying the fact that our political landscape lacks real and rugged transformational or servant leaders that Nigeria is in dire need of at this time to usher us in that New Nigeria that our forefathers envisioned. There are many transactional leaders or dealers in political garments: they are in the scene for pecuniary cum partisan gains, not really about the betterment of the people. It is high time many of our aspiring political leaders lined up to learn leadership processes, philosophies and practices. The true heart of leadership is altruistic – selfless service. In addition, leadership is about vision. Moreover, leadership is not only influence but the ability to embark on a journey carrying along other participants – followers – focusing on a mutually agreed destination. In essence, leadership is a journey; if undertaken without followers, such a leader would just be on a walk! In the private sector, globally, leaders are trained within organizations and even sent to certain high-grade institutions like Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, etc. It is unsettling and naive for aspiring political and public leaders to think that they can lead successfully without the requisite training to prepare and package them. It was Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government Professor, Barbara Kellerman, author of “Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters?”, that once curiously posited: “Why is it that we educate and train our doctors and lawyers with great care and competence, but not our leaders.” Not done, she submitted succinctly and saliently: “The American military … recognizes that to be effective it must educate leaders, train leaders, and develop leaders.” Any one still wondering why American soldiers can hold their own anywhere, anytime or anyhow duty beckons? If Nigeria would stop stagnancy and steer the ship of state towards a better rather than a battered Nigeria, it is high time our aspiring leaders deemed it fit to learn leading ethos not just within the four walls of schools but in organizations and public offices, whether they are aspiring to be voted as chairmen of local government councils, state or national assembly members, governors or president! It should be as sacrosanct as that in order to nip in the bud the emergence of upstarts that could down Nigeria into a leadership abyss drenched and drowned in tears and throes!!

Fitting Functional Followership

As 2023 beckons, it is imperative on the followers to wake up to their functional roles and responsibilities in the polity and politicking process even as the campaigns commence from 28th of September 2022. If leaders need education and enlightenment, to become fitting and functional, followers within the polity also need political education and engineering to choose wisely at the polls. Is it the time for followers to play into the whims and caprices of the dealers in leaders’ garb by accepting overtures thrown at them? It is upsetting and unsettling to see some analysts siding with these set of followers pandering to these transactional leaders (dealers) citing or fixating on poverty as the raison d’être for such indecorous and odious mannerism. In essence, it is not just leaders that needs to be trained and equipped, followers need enlightenment and education that will empower and embolden them to become fitting and functional followers that cannot be induced or coerced to electing bad leaders, though wealthy, but lacking and lackadaisical in competence, character, capacity, capability and charisma. In order for Nigeria to accomplish and achieve the dream of a “New Nigeria” of her forebears, as 2023 beckons, functional and fitting followers must arise to be active in the electioneering campaigns by interfacing, interacting and interrogating aspirants or flagbearers jostling to be elected irrespective of their political parties. Who are they? Where are they coming from? What are they presently doing? Do they have professions or careers? Have they served in organizations or public offices meritoriously or creditably before? Do they have mentees or proteges they have worked upon in the past, and presently are working upon? Where are those mentees or proteges now? What are their vision statements, core values and strategies? What are their seeming trajectories in the ladder or lattice of leadership hitherto?

 ”Lessons Learnt”

In the emerging field of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), students and scholars have professional lens depicting developmental deliverables in terms of policies, plans, programmes and projects. These are otherwise referred to as interventions. Invariably, these are visible to followers or citizens as there are key performance indicators (kpis) culminating in outputs, outcomes and impacts in tracking or monitoring these interventions. MEL practitioners and scholars, in going through the cycle and closing the loop, adopted a terminology referred to as “Lessons Learnt (LL).” In essence, LL contextualizes the content of: What works? What does not work? Why it works? Why it does not work? The bottom-line tinkering, if our case in Nigeria would not be as a barber’s chair often engaged in motion without movement, then, we should be asking retrospective or reflective questions in line with LL. Truth be told, as it is said and stated in Yoruba common parlance: “omode gbon, agba gbon, ni a fi da ile Ife” (meaning: the combination of the sagacity of the gray headed as well as that of the toddlers culminated in the founding of the ancient town of Ile – Ife, the cradle of the Yorubas), it is high time altruistic aspiring leaders and functional followers came to real terms in collaborating to move Nigeria forward and upward. The more we (followers) tolerate bad leaders to hoodwink us, the more we seemingly and surreptitiously sink Nigeria into the abyss. Reading the lips of the richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote, who posited thus “if bad and inexperienced politicians control power in Nigeria, my wealth may turn into poverty, and I am not ready to become a poor man”, one would have thought that the wealthy also worry! However, the wealthy in the likes of the Dangotes, Elumelus, Otedolas, Alakijas, Dantatas, Ezes, Adenugas, Danjumas, etc. should be more wary in waddling through the world of wild wilderness of politics and politicking in Nigeria. This columnist’s tinkering is that Dangote and co-travelers should be more concerned about our common patrimony rather than their personal possessions. If they all reason to tow this line of thought, which is not too late anyway, then, they would be more fixated on educating, enlightening, emboldening, empowering and ennobling more followers to become fittingly functional so that in the process of time, some of these citizens will aspire to core and crucial leadership positions. In my four years sojourn in Singapore, this columnist could see Lee Kuan Yew’s instinct in inculcating and institutionalizing leadership development programmes with a view to raising many leaders within the public service and going further in enrolling certain cerebral citizens, in their youths, into such high-grade schools such as Raffles College, Singapore to groom them for future leadership roles. To this columnist, if adopted or adapted in the context of Nigeria, this is one sure path to a better and brighter Nigeria; a New Nigeria, possibly with more progressive, prosperous and positive prospects than the prime perceptions of our forefathers. These patriotic frontline wealthy men and women could champion this crucial and core course of action that could enhance our common trajectory towards a glorious New Nigeria! It could be nearer than one could imagine!!

• John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

“The study examined the causes and effects of building failure with respect to cost in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study concluded that the major causes of building failures were bad design, faulty construction, overloading, non-possession of approved drawings, possession of approved drawings but non-compliance, the use of quacks, error in design, poor workmanship, and poor communication. Also, the level of compliance with the approval of building plans before construction commencement was found to be very low. This could be hinged on the ineffective monitoring mechanism put in place by the relevant government agencies and the low level of awareness of the existing Building Control Agency by clients/contractors (sic).” – Oseghale, Ikpo and Ajayi (2015), Civil and Environmental Research, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 44-53.

In reminiscing the flora greenery, depicting natural beauty that bespeaks conducive ambience for learning, of the great citadel of learning that the then University of Ife, UNIFE, (now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)), Ile-Ife, Nigeria was, yours sincerely was opportune to be part of the undergraduates that passed through the four walls of that great institution in the early eighties. Aftermath of the preliminary one year, all prospective engineering students would then formally apply for their preferred departments in the then faculty of technology. It is instructive to pinpoint that one of the erstwhile vice chancellors of UNIFE, the late Professor Ojetunji Aboyade, once pontificated that the preliminary one year in the institution was needed to correct admission errors of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) as all students scoring less than Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 1.00 are advised to withdraw. It was an authoritative advice that all concerned had no choice but to accept. Such was the strict adherence to academic standards in the old UNIFE. Specifically, all students admitted into the faculty of technology would pass their first (prelim) year in the faculty of sciences to cut their teeth and see which department they would fit in the faculty of technology based on their CGPA in the first two semesters in the university. Students willing to be admitted to read civil engineering and architecture were required to score not less than CGPA of 3.50. This columnist’s desire before getting admission to Ife was to be a civil engineer. In order to make this dream a reality, yours sincerely had to put in dint of discipline and diligence to make the list of undergraduates to be admitted into the prestigious civil engineering department.

It is with great nostalgia I could recollect the rigors of learning, sharing, and engagement at UNIFE. Great lecturers with depth and dedication to didactic ethos that undergraduates of the days of yore had just two options: either fall in or out! Relevant to the topic of this article is one episode in the civil engineering class of one of the then highly revered professors, Olusola Ogedengbe, of blessed memory. Whilst lecturing, Ogedengbe would often slice in his jovial anecdotes to drive home his point as an experienced teacher. Then this particular day, he shared a bad episode of a surgeon who committed a blunder leading to amputating the wrong leg of a patient: instead of cutting off the left leg, he inadvertently severed the right leg; the latter was functioning normally! The grim outcome: the hospital was sued and ultimately closed down!! Professor Ogedengbe then admonished: “… Gee! You would have killed a lot of people before you know you are a bad engineer!!” An atmosphere of serenity, solemnity and soberness enveloped the lecture room as we glanced at one another whilst simultaneously shaking our heads. However, that singular sharing riveted into the fabric of virtually all of us till we graduated and even into the field of practice. Ogedengbe went further to say that a doctor, through error may kill one or a few; an engineer through his own error could kill in numbers! Imagine an overhead bridge, over a lagoon or sea, linking a commercial nerve centre with a vastly crowded residential district collapsing at a peak period of movement!!

Enter Engr. Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins

Whist many would be congratulating the new Honourable Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development (MPP&UD), Engineer ‘Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, this columnist would, in satirical mien, be saying to the well-weathered engineer, in the words of the late sage, Tai Solarin, “may your road be rough!” Having served in various MDAs in the prestigious Lagos State Civil Service reaching the topmost echelon as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, till his retirement in 2015, he is not a novice in the State of Aquatic Splendour. However, with the incidence of incessant building collapse in the Centre of Excellence, will he restore sanity to the system such that this sordid menace will not only subside but stop? It is instructive to point out that Engr. Bamgbose-Martins cut his teeth under the tutelage of the revered Professor Ogedengbe, aforementioned in this treatise, at the Department of Civil Engineering of the then UNIFE, now OAU. In addition, Bamgbose-Martins is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) as well as a Registered Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). Factually and stating it saliently, in the context of the thriving building and estate development industry in Lagos, he is no stranger. In earnest, Engr. Bamgbose-Martins, with his men and women (his Permanent Secretary, Engr. (Mrs.) Abiola Kosegbe – a seasoned civil engineer too) in the Ministry of Physical Planning & Urban Development and the other agencies under the ministry must muster their competency, capacity, capability and cerebral acumen to cause collapse of buildings to cease in the Centre of Excellence. Enough is enough! Need anyone advising the new helmsman and his team to change the paradigm? It is said in management practice, that it is insane to expect a different result if we keep doing the same things.

Research studies have been conducted, with some fixating on Lagos, as to the causes and effects of collapse of buildings on the environmental and socio-economic spectrum of Nigeria. In a research study published in the Civil and Environmental Journal, the trio of Oseghale, Ikpo and Ajayi (2015), alluded to the humongous losses of lives, limbs, credibility, property and funds that any clime or country suffers when confronted with incessant cases of building collapse. It is worrisome and irksome that “no fewer than 84 persons have lost their lives in 18 building collapses in Lagos State in the last two years, …” (Punch, 10th September 2022). How to end this unwholesome occurrence should be uppermost in the mind of Engineer Bamgbose-Martins as he assumed office exuding excitement and eagerness to excel.

Crippling Collapse Cases

In the context of Lagos, the work of the new commissioner is well cut out for him with the grim and gory statistics staring him and his team at MPP&UD at the face. It would require a rational, robust and rigorous process to be imbibed, inculcated and institutionalized (overtime) for cases of collapse buildings to be checkmated in the state. What are the main causes of collapse? It would be good to meticulously and metrically establish these in going forward. It would be better not to be cognitive (thinking about it in the head) but rather explore rigorous research inquiries to decipher the actual causes as the record of collapse within the last two years is upsetting and unsettling! Within the extant practice and in the context of Lagos, known causes of building collapse are: use of substandard materials, bad design by not patronizing qualified professionals, adoption of crooked construction methods especially by quacks, unnecessarily loading of building beyond designed capacity, lack of maintenance, foundation failure, failure to carry out or non-adherence to soil and material testing, lack of modern monitoring and enforcement during construction, ignorance, negligence, corruption and sabotage. However, there are also natural causes such as earthquakes (almost non-existent in the context of Nigeria), flooding, heavy storms, etc.

In concluding this write up, it is rational to proffer ways and means of preventing building collapse within Nigeria context having practiced the civil engineering profession in Nigeria, involving designing, supervision, upgrading and construction of buildings, roads, bridges and drains spanning almost two decades. Cardinally, rigorous and proactive regulation by relevant government agencies is germane. Moreover, the professional bodies should monitor professionals and sanction errant ones appropriately as a deterrent to others. Furthermore, the professional bodies such as COREN, Nigeria Institute of Builders (NIOB), Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), etc. should engage or parley more with the state and federal governments for more proactive relevance in enforcing standard practices across board whilst punishing errant consultants and contractors irrespective of whose ox is gored. Secondly, there should be regular sessions of stakeholders’ engagement by government agencies so that citizens would understand the layers of processes and relevant agencies to contact in obtaining building permits. This is crucial and core to curbing or checkmating corruption in the context of Lagos State, the supposedly biggest construction site in West Africa. Thirdly, it is recommended to profile building collapse cases that had occurred in Lagos State within the last five years and statistically decipher where, what, how, when, which and who are the concerns, causes and culprits. This is referred to in monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) as “Lessons Learnt.” This would be fed into the system and aid policy makers in the future decision-making process. Fourthly, the extant law regulating building construction should be strictly applied and strengthened to ensure enforcement. Culprits should not be spared but appropriately sanctioned no matter their standing or status in the society. This would ensure that everyone would strive to conform to the law. Fifthly, there should be an allowance for whistle blowers to intimate particular department or unit of MPP&UD with imminent or impending occurrence of building collapse. Whistleblowers should be adequately rewarded in cash and kind. How would this work? MPP&UD will publish certain signs or symptoms of imminent or impending collapse in newspapers; run advertisements on radio and television; ministry’s website and on the major social media platforms. Such signs and symptoms to look out for are: buckling beams and columns; displaced columns or pillars; cracks in walls, floors, beams and columns; bulging walls; sagging floors or floor deflecting from walls; cracking or dropping arches; excessive peeling of plastering from walls; uncommon or cracking noise emanating from buildings; previous fire damage to a building; windows, doors, floors and stairs out of level. It is the submission of professionals in the building industry that there would not be occurrence of sudden collapse without the presence of at least one or two of the above early warning signals, which if reported early can save lives and properties whilst the regulating authority takes appropriate and timely action.

• John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – Harvard-Certified Leadership Strategist, and also a Development Consultant, can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

“Not only is our interaction today necessary, but it is also urgent to clarify the misrepresentations and draw your attention to the facts which you, as managers of our universities, ought to know by virtue of your assigned duties. It is indeed one of your statutory duties to negotiate with your workers on matters of their welfare and conditions of service … As the most important officers in our university system, pro chancellors and vice-chancellors must demonstrate more commitment to ending the ongoing strike.” – Mallam Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education, Premium Times, 6th September 2022.

In Yoruba common parlance, it is said: “ti won ba fi enia je oye awodi, O ye ko le gbe adie” (meaning: when one is offered a chieftaincy title to hunt hawk, he should at least be seen hunting hen successfully).  This seemingly was the challenge thrown at the Pro-Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors of federal universities by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, in their parley, part of which was done behind closed door, on Tuesday, 6th September 2022 in Abuja. The venue of the meeting was the National University Commission (NUC) office.  First of all, it is instructive to pinpoint that this column’s edition of last week was harping on the need to extend and expand the stakeholders to interface with in terminating the nagging strike of university lecturers. The Minister of Education should be commended for heeding this clarion call that is imperative as the ASUU’s industrial action has stretched over 200 days! In opening the meeting, Mallam Adamu Adamu poignantly pinpointed the pro-chancellors and vice-chancellors as “the managers of our universities” and in essence, ought to be awake and alert to their roles and responsibilities. Furthermore, he stated, inter alia, that it is part of their “statutory duties to negotiate with your workers on matters of their welfare and conditions of service.” He concluded his opening remark at the parley by categorically shifting the onus of terminating the industrial imbroglio on the body of pro-chancellors and vice-chancellors. In real terms, within Nigeria’s academic context, does this body of “university managers” possess the power ascribed to them by the honourable minister? To this columnist, it is rather a rhetorical rehearsal to raise the amour propre of the pro-chancellors and vice-chancellors. However, to the discerning mind, the honourable minister is stating the obvious in a sane clime and context where things are done the right way. Is it not high time for the major stakeholders, not just ASUU, to agitate or activate, albeit legally, full autonomy of the university system in order to forestall recurring perennial and painful industrial action?

Approaching Autonomy Agenda

One good thing that came out from the honourable minister’s mouth worth considering in going forward was the aspect ascribed to President Muhammadu Buhari. He saliently stated thus: “In all, we have been doing, our guide has been the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari, namely, that while the unions should be persuaded to return to work, Government should not repeat the past mistakes of accepting to sign an agreement it will be unable to implement. Government should not, in the guise of resolving current challenges, sow seeds for future disruptions.” This is really showing leadership. Imagine the nebulous agreement endorsed in 2009 triggering this nagging industrial action by ASUU; the end of which parents, students, university managers and other concerned stakeholders do not know! Tinkering along this line, is it not the right time to do the right thing even as the honourable minister’s body language depicted that aftermath of resolving this impasse with university lecturers, this may be the last time the Federal Government and ASUU may be engaging in industrial dispute. Really?

In a swift response to the last week’s edition of this column, a retired registrar of a federal university, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife, Mr. Ayorinde Ogunruku, was vociferous against how ASUU has weaponized strike to war against the federal government. He aligned with this columnist that there is the need to change tactics as doing same things recurrently whilst expecting different results amounts to nothing but insanity. In his cerebral and sagacious response, he pontificated on the need for government to behave responsibly in encouraging the universities to truly and fully be autonomous. He succinctly and saliently stated inter alia: “Government must begin to behave responsibly, promoting the rule of law, respecting contractual obligations, respecting the principle of autonomy for the institutions, delimiting its pervasive influence over the day-to-day governance of the institutions, and reviewing the policy of funding.

Read Also: FACT-CHECK: Can FG use $23m ‘Abacha loot’ to meet ASUU’s demands?

By so doing, centralisation of directives and control should be done away with. In a situation where Abuja determines salaries and wages rather than give bench marks should stop. A situation in which universities are directed to employ or not is sickening. The unwarranted centralisation of salaries and wages of universities in Abuja through IPPIS should stop. They should review the laws constituting the governing councils to allow representatives of government, professional bodies, local communities, alumni and the workers. Government can appoint the chair and a few representatives based on national or state interests (sic).” Furthermore, he enthused on the imperatives of unbundling the unions in such a way that they will be relating with governing councils of each university. However, this could only happen where such councils are, in his words: “properly democratized and empowered to determine salaries and wages and see to the welfare of their communities.” The Minister of Education apparently wanted this scenario as expressed in his meeting with the pro-chancellors and vice-chancellors but there is no seeming sincerity of purpose in activating or actualizing this kind of autonomy as it is practiced in developed climes and countries globally. In addition, this erstwhile university administrator of repute concurs with the stand and stake of this column in its last edition that government should not be fully funding education in our universities. In his response, he pontificated that, in developed climes, what the government as proprietor does is to give a percentage or ratio of each institution’s annual budget whilst the governing councils source for the remaining. According to Ogunruku, in following this route, “there is no legislation of uniform salary and allowances, there is no unionization of workers beyond their institutions on matters of salaries and wages except in unusual moments of government interventions in bench-marking this. All that the institutions do is look for resources from the products of their research and services. Also, a situation in which ASUU is asking for improved funding and demanding non-payment of fees is anachronistic . . . Higher education needs to be paid for. What governments do is provide funding institutions where students can take loans for higher education. Local, State and Federal governments give scholarships. Big players in the industries also give scholarships. It was like this before in this nation. We should plead with ourselves to go back to the days of yore to do things right.”

Addressing Autonomy Agenda

It is high time the federal and state governments stopped paying lip service to the democratization of our university system. In essence, there is the dire need of fashioning out ways and means of proactive inculcation of full autonomy into the governance of our tertiary education in Nigeria. Government fully funding tertiary education is not sustainable; it is not an acceptable global practice either! Even our honourable minister half-heartedly hinted of the seeming weariness of the government in that direction when in the meeting with the pro-chancellors and vice-chancellors he highlighted thus: “Government will continue to support the physical and academic development of its universities. Government will continue to reasonably enhance the working conditions of all university staff, academic and non-teaching. The main challenge, as you are fully aware, is dwindling resources available to address all the concerns of the citizenry.” The minister pinpointing dwindling resources as a major challenge to catering for the universities is not an alibi.

In concluding this piece, relevant stakeholders should forge a common front in approaching, addressing and activating the autonomy agenda in our universities as it is practiced in developed climes and countries globally. Meanwhile, the federal and state governments should halt the process of establishment of new universities whilst strengthening the established ones. Moreover, ASUU after terminating the present industrial imbroglio could approach the court and seek to enforce the enshrined autonomy in the Act establishing the universities as advised by accomplished scholar and administrator, Professor Jide Osuntokun. According to him: “What ASUU should now be fighting for is university autonomy, which the law has, in fact, granted. ASUU should take governments, both federal and state, to court over university autonomy.” Invariably, ASUU may need to approach the National Assembly (NASS) in case the extant law is not favourably disposed to institutionalizing full autonomy that will sound a death knell to incessant and interminable industrial action in our higher institutions. These are options that could be fully explored and exploited rather than weaponizing strike as a perennial action. ASUU needs be pointedly told that students, parents and other stakeholders in the education industry are angst with industrial action. It is high time ASUU changed strategy and activate the autonomy mode!

• John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com