The Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) has extended its ongoing strike by eight weeks following the refusal of the Federal Government to address issues in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action within the warning strike which lasted a month.However, students of tertiary institutions across the country bemoan the situation while looking forward to a speedy resolution. SAMUEL AGBELUSI (AAUA) and PRECIOUS ADESHINA (UNILORIN) report.
The dream of every student is to graduate as early as possible without any hindrance or obstacle. However, such is not the case here. Students are forced to spend more years than the normal period on campus due to one strike to another. The Federal Government and
Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) face-off is a bitter pill students continue to swallow.
The ASUU strike is almost becoming an annual ritual. Sadly, those at the helm of affairs do not seem to care, rather they send their kids out of the country to enjoy uninterrupted education.
Students who had planned that by now they would be graduates have to wait a little longer for the realisation of this goal, likewise those who are anxious to resume as freshers.
Now that ASUU has extended the strike for another 8 weeks, there is no hope of resuming soon. Students would continue the unsolicited vacation.
Universities have spent an average of one year per strike since 1999. No doubt, the strike has disrupted the academic pursuits of most Nigerian students with most spending extra year.
The strike is bound to throw the already fragile public university system into disarray. There should be an effort to resolve the conflict between the government and university lecturers and to restore normality.
ASUU cites the failure of the Federal Government to implement the Memorandum of Action it signed with it in December 2020, as well as the inability of the government to fulfil some of the other agreements inked as far back as 2009.
These include the revitalization of public universities through consistent funding; payment of earned academic allowances to lecturers; the acceptance and implementation of the University Transparency Accountability Solution developed by the union instead of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System introduced by the government; settlement of promotion arrears; and the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.
The extension of the strike by ASUU has thrown traumatised students and their parents into another round of agony as Nigeria is the only country in the world where the fate of the future generation is left hanging.
Students are left with no option but to find alternate routes while those who can afford to go outside the country have done so, leaving the average students to their fate.
Fate of education and students
Despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s promises at a recent international forum that allocation to education would be increased by at least 50 per cent in the next few years and by about 100 per cent by 2025, allocation to the sector in the 2022 budget estimate still fell short of stakeholders expectation as N1.29 trillion which was 7.9 per cent was allocated to education out of N16.39 trillion appropriation bill presented to the National Assembly.
The country’s allocation to the sector is still less than 10 per cent. Consequently, of the N55.3 trillion budgeted by the Federal Government in the last six years, only N3.5 trillion was allocated to education and this represents less than 10 per cent.
In 2016, of the N6.06 trillion total budget, N369.6 billion which was 6.7 per cent, was allocated to public education in the country. In 2017, N550 billion which was 7.38 per cent was allocated to education out of the N7.29 trillion budget, while in 2018; N605.8 billion which was 7.04 per cent was given to education out of the N9.2 trillion budget.
In 2019, N620 billion which was 7.05 per cent was allocated to education out of N8.92 trillion, while in 2020, N671.07 billion, which was 6.7 per cent was given to education out of N10.33 trillion.
In 2021, N742.5billion, which was 5.6 per cent was allocated to education out of a budget proposal of N13.6 trillion.
Due to the poor allocation of the budget on education, Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. Banditry, kidnapping, and other vices are on the increase because poorly trained, poorly educated people are increasing in number daily and they are not prepared for the best ways to face challenges of life.
Students curse tough luck
Ajayi Olumide, a 300-Level Political Science student at Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) expressed his sadness over the incessant strike following failure of ASUU and Federal Government to reach a compromise.
He said: “The strike is used as a tool to waste our time on campus while the children of the government get access to quality education outside the country”. He noted that the Federal Government needs to fulfil its agreement with ASUU as their demands are reasonable and for the benefit of average Nigerian students.
Adeniyi Adeola, a 400-Level Law student at University of Nigeria Nsukka believes that the ongoing strike is borne out of negligence from the Federal Government. Her words: “We the students are always at the receiving end of the conflict between ASUU and the Federal Government. Government should ensure it resolves issues with the union, so we get back to school as soon as possible”.
Joshua Olamide, a final year Sociology student at Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile-Ife, lamented that he won’t graduate as expected and opportunities might be lost due to such delay.
He said: “ASUU strike has left so many stranded with their lives and no hope of a better future . Sadly, the government does not have any interest in education and does not care what hardship the students will face during the long break.”
Another student who preferred anonymity said:” The education sector in Nigeria has often come under focus, due to the incessant conflict between the government and ASUU. Many factors have been identified by these critical stakeholders as militating against the Nigerian education system, a majority of which make learning almost impossible.
“While education stakeholders have referred to the government’s lack of commitment to education as seen by its low budgetary allocation to such an important sector of the nation, other crucial factors have also been highlighted.
“While ASUU’s demands are presentable, the lecturers should consider what their students are going through because of the strike. It should change its way of handling disputes with the government. If the same method of embarking on strikes has been used for many years without achieving the aim, then authorities in the university system should think of new strategies by being more innovative.
“The Federal Government should honour the agreement it entered with ASUU by funding universities and paying lecturers their earned allowances and salaries.
” One good way is to agree with the union of a formula through which revitalization funds can be released over an agreed number of years and ensure that the budget allocation for education is increased in subsequent budgets.”
For Ade Ogunbiyi, a 200-Level Art Education student at University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), the strike has crippled some of his programmes including the mandatory observation for Education students.
“I don’t know why we have to wait till the end of the strike before we commence our observation, it’s not something that we do in the school, we have selected schools of our choice already. It will make much sense if we are allowed to start our observation immediately regardless of ASUU strike,” he said.
In like manner, Shelley Peters, a 300-Level Education student said: “I really hope the government settles ASUU so we can resume early. I should be in a school doing my teaching practice but I have to stay back at home. I don’t see how I will cope with my final year project coupled with my teaching practice upon resumption.”
Azeez Fatima, a final year student at UNILORIN bemoaned the suspension of academic activities among other important things.
” Observation and Teaching practice are not the only things being put on hold. The whole academic activities are suspended. I’m in my final year and I’m supposed to be doing my clearance or be done with it, but unfortunately it seems as if it will be put on hold,” she said.
Odunola Adedeji another UNILORIN student said: “I feel disheartened by the fact that I have to wait at home not on holidays but for the issue of strike, the government really has to do more for the education sector, because the school calendar is being adjusted due to the previous strike and now while we are at that stage, another strike is here.
Another student who craved anonymity said: ” I think the Federal Government and ASUU have their own parts to play, and pending the time they will come to an agreement which I feel shouldn’t be too far away, we students of Education about to do our Observation and Teaching practice should be able to do it since it’s not to be done within the school.
NAPTAN urges speedy resolution
National President, Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria(NAPTAN), Haruna Danjuma, has expressed dissatisfaction over the extension of the strike by ASUU.
In a statement, the association, however,called on both ASUU and Federal Government to go back to dialogue table and resolve their differences.
“The strike comes amid increase in price of foodstuff, petrol, and insecurity in the country,” he said.
The PTA appealed to ASUU to have a rethink over the issues, while calling on Federal Government to attend to their demands and save students from wasting more time at home.
He noted that not all parents could afford taking their wards abroad or any of the nation’s private university for studies, therefore, it is imperative for both parties to reach a compromise.