• ASUU alleges members’ witch-hunt
The Ambrose Alli University (AAU) in Ekpoma, Edo State, has resumed, drawing the ire of the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The university claimed that the resumption was for financial reason but, ASUU is accusing it of witch-hunting the union’s members and forcing them to return to work. OSAGIE OTABOR reports.
The sudden resumption of academic activities at the Ambrose Alli University (AAU) on Monday, last week, has further heightened the face-off between the management of the institution and its Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The national body of the university teachers started an indefinite dispute with the Federal Government since last November because of the latter ‘s refusal to sign a Memorandum of Action on funding of public universities nationwide and payment of earned academic allowance (EAC), among other demands.
However, the resumption at AAU brought excitement to the students. Newly admitted 100-Level undergraduates that were supposed to have resumed last year, were seen running to lecture halls.
Notwhistanding, this did not go down with the leadership of AAU-ASUU. Same day, the union called for a congress to prevail on its members not to resume classes. The leadership of the Bénin Zone of ASUU was also in attendance in a show of solidarity. Surprisingly, the meeting ended in chaos with some lecturers in support, while others were against the strike.
The Nation gathered that the battle between the two parties had been on for a while.
When the national ASUU declared the strike about three months ago, it was the Faculty of Law of AAU that first called the bluff of the union when it refused to comply with the strike order.
Explaining his rationale, the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Sunday Edeko, described strike as an outdated weapon of negotiation, adding that ASUU should look inwards for better options.
Beside Law, some lecturers have resumed classes across faculties and colleges, such as the College of Medicine, Faculty of Law, School of Environment, and Department of Economics, among others.
Meanwhile AAU-ASUU Chairman, Prof. Monday Igbafen, said the teaching is skeletal as the union still has a majority of its members behind it.
The Nation‘s investigation revealed that it was the dwindling financial status of the institution that forced the varsity’s reopening. Management of the institution insisted it is either the university resumes and survives, or hold on to the strike, and sink.
The Nation further found out that the N300m monthly subvention the institution receives from the government is not enough to pay salaries. The ASUU chapter of AAU, it would be recalled, had bemoaned persisting underfunding of the institution, and had even threatened to go on indefinite strike.
Ahead of last week’s resumption, sources said the Senate of AAU met with lecturers, explaining the dangerous financial implications the university would be further plunged should the closure of the institution continue. The source said the meeting ended with over 60 per cent of the lecturers agreeing to return to class.
AAU, the second state-owned university in Nigeria, was established during the administration of the late Prof Ambrose Alli. Unfortunately, the university has suffered major underfunding over the years. Today, AAU remains a shadow of an ideal university. This was attested to by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
‘’It is saddening that the expectation of the university in driving research has failed,’’ Obaseki said after visiting the institution a few months ago.
However, it was rather a captivating moment during ASUU congress. Hardly had the meeting started when some lecturers caused an uproar, calling for an end to the gathering.The angry lecturers seized the microphone from Igbafen and took the speakers away. The melee made the other lecturers to flee for safety.
After the fracas subsided, Igbafen told reporters that the strike was still on course, noting that the congress was meant to update members on the national strike.
Spokesman for the university, Mr. Edward Aihevba, told our reporter that the institution opened for academics to get funding to meet its salaries’ obligations.
Aihevba explained that the monthly subvention from the government only meets 45 per cent of its salaries and the balance paid from school fees. With this scenario therefore, its either the university be in sync with ASUU’s position or sink, he added.
Aihevba explained that the management was not averse to ASUU’s struggle for improved funding of universities. Nonetheless, he said the management of AAU has a duty to ensure the survival of the institution, especially as funding comes from the government.
His words: “We are between the devil and deep blue sea. If we stay in the strike, we sink. It is better we stay afloat while other universities are carrying on the action.
“The things ASUU is asking for are things that will help the university system. A lot of things that would be beneficial to the lecturers are already being paid in state universities that are able like the AAU. The funding requirements are not immediately coming to AAU but Federal Government-owned universities. At the end of the day, we will come back to the state government that will comply according to its ability. So, whatever happens, it must be settled at the local chapter.
“Our university has been in solidarity with other (federal) universities that will have full benefit of the strike. We are funded by our state government. Forty-five per cent of our salary requirement is what we get from the state government and we get the balance from our IGR (internally generated revenue), which is majorly school fees. This means we cannot afford our students remaining at home. We are determined in this university not to scuttle the academic calendar.
“Enough of students losing time! After the whole strike thing, the benefit coming to us is on the long run. Right now, the students are the ones paying the fees. We do not want our students to be half-baked.”
ASUU members are already polarised over the stance of management.
One of them, who pleaded anonymity, said: “I have started lectures. ASUU is not my employer. We will not listen to them. My employers have said we should resume work and that we are going to do.”
Another lecturer, Dr. Austin Aghemelo from the Department of Social Sciences, said the resumption was directed by the Senate of the institution after a meeting attended by over 150 professors.
His words: “The Senate meeting was held and it is the highest body in the institution. Lecturers are ready to teach and some are in their offices.
“ASUU did not employ me and they cannot tell me not to teach or leave the lecture hall.”
Another lecturer, Dr. Abdulrasaq Momoh, said the ASUU strike was no longer going the way it was intended.
Momoh said it was time ASUU leadership sought a way to end the strike because public opinion is against the measure.
He stated that what occurred during AAU-ASUU congress was a negative pointer to the posture of leadership of ASUU on getting views from members on the agreement reached with the Federal Government.
“ASUU has refused to carry all members along with its decisions. It did not get back to members to inform them about the negotiations,” Momoh said.
He continued: “Many lecturers have already resumed since Monday. I am also a member of ASUU but I was not given the avenue to air my views.”
All the threats against innocent students and parents failed. Students now know that they are fully safe and secure in the university. They now know that majority of lecturers are on ground and many now teach their courses. If you have not resumed, you cannot fathom what you are missing. Ask those who attended classes on Monday (last week).
Some lecturers have resumed classes across different faculties and colleges, such as of the College of Medicine, Faculty of Law, School of Environment, and Department of Economics.
Igbafen, however, insisted that academic activities were yet to start in AAU, adding that the congress would update members on the prevailing strike.
Addressing reporters after the botched congress, Igbafen accused management of trying to divide the union by using some ASUU members to thwart the congress.
He said: “While we were trying to start our meeting, some persons came to seize the microphone in the full glare of the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration. The unseen hand behind the fracas is the Vice Chancellor who is bent on stopping the strike.
“We have one or two members we suspended who are teaching. In the Faculty of Law, only one man is teaching all the courses, including French. If you meet that kind of lecture going on, will you say that lectures are on?
“We are on strike. What you are seeing on campus is a play well scripted by the VC. Why orchestrated violence in the congress if you feel you have the majority? He has started threatening our colleagues with sack. Many of the lecturers he recruited are still in temporary appointment. This strike is not against anybody. The VC is the greatest beneficiary of ASUU struggle.
“The VC is perhaps broke. He wants to collect school fees. He has received more than N4.5billion since he came from TETFUND (Tertiary Education Trust Fund), and NEEDs assessment, which is because of our struggle. The money we are fighting for is appropriated by the VC.
“We cannot be intimidated to resume work. The VC should go and tell the governor that the school is broke. He told Obaseki he could run the school even when we had always agitated for more funding. If the school is broke, must he force us? He should open a channel of communication and not to announce to the world that lectures have resumed. We are yet to get instruction from the national leadership of ASUU to resume work.”
Aihevba, nonetheless, said sanctioning lecturers who refused to work WAs not on management’s table, since majority of ASUU members have resumed teaching.
“The issue of sanction would not come now. More than 80 percent of the lecturers are ready to teach. If we got that number, then management reserves the right to decide what happens. We will be talking of sanction when school resumes. We have released the university calendar. All the faculties are open,’’ he added.
Despite the face-off by both parties, the students expressed their excitement of being back to school. Fresh students told The Nation how excited they were.
Constant Ozekhome of the Faculty of Law said she was shocked at the huge turnout of students.
“This is the first day and the crowd is amazing. I commend the lecturers for making us to return to campus. All the courses have been introduced to us,” she said.
Emmanuel Udoh, another 100-Level Economics undergraduate, said it was a great inspiration to have one’s dream of admission eventually realised.
Udoh’s coursemate Gift Uwuanu-Nwosu lamented that staying back home was not encouraging.
He said: “I am a very happy woman today. We had long waited for this. Some of us had even resigned to fate since there seemed to be nothing better coming up between the Federal Government and ASUU. All of a sudden, the school asked us to resume and here we are today.
“The strike was a problem to us. I am happy. I received two lectures today,” Udo noted.
“I am so happy (to resume) because staying at home made people think I never got admission,” said Charity Imiom, an Environmental Studies undergraduate.
” They started teaching today. The final year students are happy. They can now write their project. For the first year students, it is our first time of starting classes,” she added.
