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Tag: ASUU

  • 2013: Cocktail of pains and gains

    2013: Cocktail of pains and gains

    Stakeholders are divided over how education fared in the outgoing year. To some, it did well; to others, it did not live up to par.

    With 2013 ending next week, teachers, students, school owners and parents have taken a look at how education fared in the outgoing year. The sector had its ups and downs, especially downs, which stakeholders are urging the government to reverse for the story to change next year.

    ASUU strike

    The five-month Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike ranks as the most impactful education event of 2013. ASUU was on strike between July 1 and downed tools December 17 to agitate for the implementation of the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement, part of which seeks improved funding for universities.

    For the proprietress of Cardinal School in Idowu-Egba, a Lagos suburb, Mrs Nkechi Ohakawa, the strike period cannot be recovered.

    “Well, our children were at home for five-months, so I do not know how else one can rate it (2013). I do not even know how they will gain the five-months even if they are rushed,” she said.

    Badmus Okeowo, a 500-Level Electrical Engineering student of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State is sad that the five-month closure has resulted in him spending an extra year in school because of no fault of his. He blamed the Federal Government for the protracted strike and rates education low this year.

    Okeowo said: “We are hoping that we will resume fully by January 6, next year and commence teaching immediately because I am tired of the whole thing. I do not have carry over and I do not know why I should be given one year extra. The government just decided to add one year to the years I should spend in the university and it is so painful.”

    Painful as the strike may have been, however, a lecturer at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Dr Farouk Muhammad Tambawal, said the strike was justifiable and achieved its aim so was positive.

    “Our fight with the government was legitimate and a just course in the interest of stability, standards, responsibilities and progress in the sector’s institutions. It was in good faith and not to stagnate the system,” he said.

    Assessing the strike in the light of the improved funding for infrastructure that ASUU has been able to secure for public universities (N200 billion in the next five years to improve infrastructure), Peter Okebukola, a Professor of Science Education and former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), said Nigerians can take solace in the fact that public universities will now be better equipped.

    “You know that we had this strike for almost half of the year by the ASUU but I tell you at the end of the day, no victor no vanquished, and we have all learnt our lesson and a lot of money will now go into the university system. I foresee in the next five years, tremendous improvements in terms of infrastructure and human capacity development in our university based on the funds that have been injected into the system,” he said.

    Anglican Bishop of Amichi Diocese, Anambra State, Right Reverend Ephraim Ikeakor, described the ASUU strike as a great achievement needed to improve the education sector.

    ”You cannot have an interest in what you are not a stakeholder. ASUU has achieved the most important thing in any nation which is appropriate funding of the education sector. Any country with a weak education system is not fit to be regarded as a country because a strong educational base stands countries out from the crowd. And any country without strong educational base is heading to collapse,” he said.

    For the strike to lead to long-term gains, however, the Anglican Bishop of Amichi Diocese, Anambra State, Right Reverend Ephraim Ikeakor, said the Implementation Committee of the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Public Universities must ensure the proper utilization of the funds for stipulated projects in the universities. He warned that if left in the hands of politicians the money would be wasted.

     

    Poor policy implementation, funding and corruption

    The year ended with many educationists believing that Nigeria has still not got its funding of education right. As a result, they argue that she cannot compete favourably with other countries.

    Prof Samson Ayanlaja, Vice-Chancellor, Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, said the poor performance of the education system due to poor funding and management, reverberates beyond the shores of Nigeria, and negatively impacts her ratings internationally.

    He said: “About three months ago, I gave a lecture in Botswana on Government Funding, Infrastructural Development and Effective Teaching as determinants in Global Employability: The Nigeria Situation. After my lecture, some of the questions I was asked by my international audience were that Nigeria has 152, 000, 000 people, 129 universities and not a single one is mentioned as one of the best in the world; whereas, in South Africa with 45-50 million people with much fewer universities, their universities are mentioned among the world’s best.

    “How would I have answered? They know; they have read papers and online news. It is a big shame for a country as rich as Nigeria. The whole budget for education in South Africa is more than the entire budget for Nigeria. There are no infrastructures, laboratories and other things in the university system are not up to date. It is so unfortunate. How can we develop research and people that will compete globally? In Nigeria there are so many jobs and so much money but nobody is doing the jobs, while a few people are spending the money. Nigeria is not focused or organised.”

    Malam Bello Abubakar Sokoto, the Chairman, College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto chapter, also faulted the funding formula employed by the state and Federal Government.

    “Funding is still a source of concern, especially for primary and secondary schools – with the exception of tertiary institutions like ours which generate little funds from the admission exercise. A principal of a secondary school who ordinarily should be able to maintain and rehabilitate sanitary facilities cannot do that until he or she goes to the state or federal government to request for fund to do just that. This is not supposed to be so in a well organised system,” he said.

    Like Ayanlaja, he is sad that 2013 ended without one of Nigeria’s schools in the league of the top 200.

    “It is quite disappointing to note that with the country’s manpower and resources, none of its university measures up among the first 200 in Africa and the world. Today, you find our citizens – students and lecturers, going for higher degrees in neighbouring Ghana, Togo, Niger republic, Sierra- Leone for studies yet we call our country the giant of Africa; how realistic is that placement?

    “There is decay in the entire sector occasioned by poor funding and inadequate infrastructure, coupled with the glaring unfriendly learning conditions or environment, culminating into poor standards,” he said.

    A private school proprietor in the north, who prefers not to be named, said standards of quality are driven by polices set by government and regulatory bodies or agencies. He however lamented that these standards are not maintained because those employed to do so are inferior.

    “Those saddled with the responsibilities are deficient hence the products of the system remain poor because of the obvious lapses at the foundation stage. In a number of cases where you allow unqualified teachers who are technically deficient, having only the paper to take up appointment, the end result is that they cannot defend the task of imparting knowledge to students or pupils,” he said.

    Similarly, Vice-Chancellor, Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH), in Okitipupa, Ondo State, Prof Tolu Odugbemi said quality control officers do not play their roles because they place self above national development.

    He said: “Nigeria is at a cross road. Instead of our present educational system helping to propel us forward in development, we face a gloomy picture of decay because of wrong ideas and teachings that made “self” instead of the “society” as a centre of development. The over-development of “self” in positive ways would not have harmed the nation but the greed attached to “self-development” has. There are supervisory bodies (School Boards, Governing Councils, Committees on education, science, health, technology etc.) set up to monitor growth and development of education in our schools and institutions of higher education. Some members of such supervisory bodies are generally uninformed of their duties, and responsibilities attached to their offices. Some work very hard for excellence while some see being in such bodies as opportunities to ‘make it’. Projects meant to be supervised by their supervisory bodies become ‘projects’ they execute with nothing to show for it at the end of the day. Even the funds for execution of projects are usually thought to be ‘money for sharing’. Deceit, insincerity and abuse of office are rampant. Harassment of ‘those not playing ball’ is the order of the day. Corruption is an emergency to be tackled sincerely in Nigeria.”

     

    Efforts by states

    When considered individually, some state government got praises from various quarters for their investments in education in 2013.

    A student of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Francis Chukwuemeka Ekpone, praised Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State for targeting the actualization of the MDG Education for All goal by 2015. He said the government has encouraged youths to go back to school by deliberate actions aimed at encouraging education.

    Hafsat Sa’idu, a science student, also lauded the Sokoto State government’s free education policy and rehabilitation of facilities.

    “I will seize the opportunity to commend and score the state government high for introducing free basic education with reasonable infrastructure and facilities.

    However, she lamented the poor quality due to poor teachers.

    “I will say that the quality is low due largely to poor quality teaching. Some of the teachers abscond from school,” she said.

    In Cross River State, teachers and parents celebrated the improved performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) this year, which placed the state sixth in Nigeria. Last year, the state came seventh.

    Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Eyo Nsa Itam, said the state government is really making efforts to improve education and results are already beginning to manifest.

    He however spoke of the need to improve the welfare of teachers to motivate them to work harder.

    “Generally in my opinion, the government is trying. We are doing our best. Percentage pass in WAEC and other exams have improved. Imoke came with lean resources, but the governor has been able to put in his bit by renovating the schools and trying to make sure that the children have sound and conducive atmosphere.

    “But more still needs to be done. The teachers should be given tax rebate, as it was before, to motivate them. Also rural allowances should be restored. They should also pay the 16.2 per cent Teachers Specific Allowance we agreed. No matter how small, teachers would be happy,” he said.

    A parent, Mrs Florence Etim, also praised the Imoke-led government’s investment in education but seeks better remuneration for teachers.

    “It appears the government is determined to improve the educational sector through building and renovating of schools, equipping laboratories, training teachers and provision of books among others.

    “But I think the government should still do more in terms teacher allowances, poor salaries; delayed salaries, especially primary school teachers. I also strongly believe the teachers should not be taxed.

    “I commend the government but they should not relax as there is a whole lot more still to be done. I cannot say we have even achieved anything, but there has been an improvement and it is still important to note that,” she said.

    In Ondo State, there are divergent views on the government’s effort in education sector this year.

    While majority are commending Governor Olusegun Mimiko for his commitment in rebranding the sectors, others highlighted his shortcomings.

    A primary school teacher, Mrs. Christiana Oluboana said she is highly impressed with the inauguration of mega schools, which she believes will help in bridging the gap between the rich and the poor.

    “What this mega idea is all about is that you know in Nigeria, poor children who are in the majority in our society cannot afford to attend all these costly schools to have access to modern education.

    “But with this mega schools designed like modern schools, poor children will now have the same opportunities as the children of the rich.

    “For instance, in the Mega School, computers are provided for the pupils, and this will enable them to have background knowledge of computer, compared to our days, when most of us could not operate computer just because we were not taught at the elementary stage. I think for this year our education sector has improved a lot,” she said.

    But, a teacher of Oyemekun Grammar school, Mrs. Aina Omojola believes more attention should be dedicated to the sector. She based her argument on the newly introduced e-examination by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) which will take off fully by 2015, saying government should start preparing students so that they would be ICT literate before the deadline.

    Omojola said: “These internet browsing devices are not strange to our children again. Some of them browse with their phones, chat with friends on social media; but there is still need for the government to train them, particularly our secondary school pupils who are not opportune to attend the newly constructed mega schools so that computers will not be new to them.

    “Since the idea was launched by JAMB in Ondo State in the middle of this year, I expected the government to have keyed into the system. We are yet to hear from the governor on his plan for this new system and how our students will be brought to that level.”

    In Lagos, many private school proprietors praised the government for renovating public schools and bringing them up to standard. One of them, Mrs Chioma Ogunka, who runs Joyceville College, Badore Road, Ajah, said the government has also improved its monitoring of private schools.

    “I will say the education sector has fared well because there was increased government intervention in the area of regulation and supervision. There are several measures government has taken to make private schools sit up. They have set up self-evaluation groups and the quality assurance unit; they have organized workshops to tell us what they want to see in schools. If they don’t see it, they will downgrade the school’s rating. The government is also improving its schools and punishing principals that engage in malpractices, which tells us that they can come after us if we do not perform,” she said.

  • Their fear of the unknown

    Their fear of the unknown

    For students nationwide, the suspension of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike last week may be the best news of the year.

    With the strike over, they know that it is time for academics once again immediately after Christmas and the New Year break.

    Many of them them were preparing for examination when their teachers went on strike last July. When universities reopen next January, the exams are expected to come up.

    At the Delta State University (DELSU), there has been an uneasy calm over the management’s decision that students should return to school last December 4.

    Few students obeyed the directive, but with the suspension of ASUU strike, their misgiving about resumption has disappeared.

    Mark Chibogu, 500-Level Mechanical and Production Engineering student of DELSU, who said the strike delayed his graduation, urged the government not to renege on its promises to the lecturers. “We cannot afford another strike,” said Mark.

    The suspension of the strike was a good development, according to Zebulun Orogun, 400-Level student of Geology at DELSU. He said he believed the lecturer’ action was necessary if universities must become centres of excellence. “If the 2009 agreement is implemented to the letters, I believe students will have something to fall back on in modern academic requirements,” he said.

    “I am not happy neither am I sad that ASUU strike has been suspended,” Musa Sale, a 300-Level student of Physics at the Bayero University, Kano (BUK) quipped. He added: “I have submitted every delay I have been having in school to the will of Allah.”

    Daniel Adayi, 200-Level Accounting, University of Jos (UNIJOS), described strike as “an automatic carryover”. He wondered why a responsible government would allow university lecturers to be away from school for almost six months, stating that the development may not augur well for the nation’s education system.

    A student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State, who simply gave her name as Chichi, said the suspension of the strike close to Christmas was not good. Reason: her institution was about to start second semester examination when the ASUU declared indefinite action. “Now I will have to eat Christmas meat with caution because I have to keep my books close to me,” she offered.

    “I was idle throughout the strike period and even lost the desire to study because it seemed the government did not attach any importance to education anymore,” Juliet Igbedi, a 300-Level student of Pharmacy at DELSU said.

    However, strike offered Samuel Egwo, 400-Level Social Studies Education, time to discover his talent outside academics. But it is not so for him in school because his properties he left behind in his hostel were carted away by burglars.

    Apart from academics, students are returning to campus to face accommodation challenges. Due to the months of strike, many students staying off-campus may have to deal with high rent from landlords and their agents.

    Some students of Kogi State University living off-campus were ejected two months ago by their landlords on the claims that the students abandoned the rooms.

    Andrew Ishaku, a 400-Level Chemistry, said: “My rent has expired since October. And I don’t think I will be a good child to ask my parents to pay exorbitant rent my landlord is asking. I will have to go squat with my friends in the school hostel since I have just a semester left.”

     

  • ASUU: How N200b can be effective, by Okebukola

    ASUU: How N200b can be effective, by Okebukola

    Professor Peter Okebukola, Chairman, Governing Council, Crawford University, Igbesa in Ogun State, has listed quality leadership, good students, and quality teachers as three elements needed for the optimal utilization of the Federal Government’s N200b lifeline to public universities.

    Speaking at the 5th convocation of the university last Wednesday, Okebukola, who has served as the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) said: “You need quality leadership of the university. With inept, inefficient and corrupt management, the huge injection of funds will have minimal impact. Second is the quality of students. If the students come poorly prepared from the secondary level, with poor study habits and are morally bankrupt as a consequence of poor home training, the effect of huge buildings and fat salaries of staff brought about by the huge injection of funds will not go far. Thirdly, if the quality of staff in terms of potential to deliver quality education and moral upbringing is low, we will be climbing a greasy pole in trying to improve quality of the system through funds injection only.”

    Underscoring the importance of funding, the professor of science education said a 2012 study conducted by the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNI) Africa, set up by UNESCO in 1999 showed that funding plays a major role in improving quality in Africa universities.

    However, he said the study noted that funding can only be useful in improving university education, if there is improvement in the quality at the secondary level which feeds the university.

    Making a case for public funding of private universities, Okebukola, who served as Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) said the university system is not made up of the federal and state universities. He lamented that private universities, which number over 50, are left out of government’s largesse.

    “These universities plead passionately with Mr President to extend funding support perhaps not through the ASUU-FGN arrangement but through the intervention of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). All universities regardless of ownership are contributing to human resource development of our country,” he added.

    Agreeing with Prof Okebukola on the TETFund intervention, the best graduating student, Mr Sotubo Dipo said the government should finance private universities given that the public schools are financed with the taxes their parents pay.

    “I cannot end this valedictory speech without pleading with the Federal Government to please consider the plight of private universities and find a place in its heart to extend some forms of financial assistance to them as done to public institutions which are partly financed by the taxes paid by our parents,” he said.

    In his speech, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Samson Ayanlaja, said Crawford University seeks to produce a new generation of Nigerian leaders that are skilful, knowledgeable and honest.

    “When these new breed forthright workers hold the helms of affairs in the country, it is only then that economic downturn occasioned by unabated corruption can be checked.

    Concomitantly, social vices, hunger, poverty, insecurity, environmental pollution, disease, tension and disharmony would be mitigated,” he said.

    He said the graduates have received entrepreneurial training because youth unemployment in Nigeria now stands at a startling rate of 48.5 per cent, which he said is partly due to the lack of domain knowledge of specific industry skills in the mainstream education curriculum.

    Reverend Emmanuel Adeniran was installed the new Chancellor of the university at the event.

    Prof Julius Okojie, NUC Executive Secretary, represented by Prof Adebisi Balogun said the government has a lot of confidence in private universities to help out with the problems confronting the education sector in Nigeria.

     

  • At last, the strike ends

    At last, the strike ends

    Students must have heaved a sigh of relief last week, following the announcement by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to end its six-month strike. Last week’s Wednesday, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by both the Federal Government and representatives of ASUU to end the industrial action.

    I can imagine the first few words that must have been blurted by bewildered students while reading through the news. Indeed, the signing of the MoU on December 11 was the most important thning after the 13-hour intervention by the President.

    Before the memorandum was agreed on, however, students had expected President Goodluck Jonathan to review the 2009 agreements and come up with workable recommendations that would make ASUU to return to work. But that was not to happen. Not wanting to be fooled the second time, ASUU members needed to close loop-holes and reach water-tight agreement with the government this time around. That was thoughtful of them as intellectuals they are. For the lecturers, the mantra was: “Fool me once shame on you; fool me twice shame on me.”

    Finally, the strike is over. Students can now go back to school. Lecturers can now roll-up their sleeves to work and give us the quality education they have been clamouring. Abandoned projects can now go into completion. The botched semester can continue without disruption again.

    But how I wished the strike never happened. If wishes were horses, beggars will ride. This was not to be at all. In 52 weeks that make up year 2013, students spent 25 weeks out of school. Their youthful intellects that supposed to be rightly channeled into a positive end were made to think of others things not in tandem with academics.

    Most students engaged in unproductive ventures. This would not have been if the government was faithful to the agreement it reached with the lecturers in 2009. We were told that it is not the government of the day that entered into an agreement with the ASUU, but in Political Science, we are told that government is continuum. Therefore, all actions taken by the previous governments, whether in good or bad faith – are binding on the government of the day.

    Now, another MoU has been signed. Another agreement reached. It is time for government to indeed redeem its battered image. As it stands, the government of the day has lost the trust of the people. Its credibility has been smeared as an institution that reneges on agreements such as agreements with ASUU, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and other unions.

    When trust becomes difficult to command, then something must be wrong. When nobody is unable to trust the government, then there is a sign of trouble in such polity. Nigerian government lacks credibility and trust. Pray, why would everybody not want to trust the occupant of the country’s highest office? Why will proofs be required before further action? Even after a 13-hour meeting? Haba! That shows the lack of trust.

    If government decides to play its part rightly, I believe ASUU and university managements would not hesitate to do same. As a group of intellectuals, the lecturers would be willing to implement the agreements to the letters. The money released would, indeed, go where it is supposed to go; the money would not alight at unofficial bus stops.

    I believe the implementation of the recommendations of the MoU just signed by the government and ASUU will signify Nigerian universities’ launch into the limelight – a launch into global recognition. Our universities will start to compete with leading universities across the globe.

    Students will no longer strain ears in lecture rooms. No longer will 300 students be packed in a lecture theatre for 100 students. We will no longer have excuses to be absent at practical classes because of dearth of instruments. Graduates produced from our ivory towers can now stand should-to-shoulder with their peers across the world.

    Nigeria as the giant of Africa needs not to have a dwindling education system. The sector does not need to be left in the hands of charlatans. According to Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Our immediate world is Nigeria. Therefore, the need to seriously pay attention to education is imminent for a better society.

    •Kelechi, 200-Level Mass Communication, UNILAG

     

  • Why we must set the agenda now

    Then the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) suspended its almost six months strike, the question on most people’s lips was whether this would be the last ASUU strike. This is a very potent question, given the fact that the last strike – like others before it – did incalculable damage to the country’s tertiary education sector. It was, according to my estimation, one of the most discussed ASUU strikes of all time, no thanks to the social media. Would this be the last strike? For an answer we would need to study the “body language” and tone of some of the principal actors of the 2013 edition.

    The starting point should be Dr. Nasir Fagge, ASUU President who said – while the strike was being suspended – that “ NEC (National Executive Council) has resolved to suspend the strike embarked upon on July 1, 2013, with effect from Tuesday, December 17, 2013, and directs its staff to resume work forthwith.” Ordinarily, this was supposed to be a straight forward statement until we hear the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.

    Senator Anyim had said: “Notwithstanding the fact that some of the sessions were typically stormy, I am gladdened by the fact that the strike has been called off and we are here to formalise the process that will work to uphold the renewed confidence between ASUU and the government.” I juxtaposed these two statements – one by an intellectual and the other by a politician and bureaucrat – and I came out with two varying views while reading in-between the lines. Why did I say this?

    My reason is straight forward. If you go back to the first statement you’d notice that the ASUU president used the word “suspend.” On the other hand however, Senator Anyim used the phrase “called off”. As intellectuals, ASUU framed its statement with utmost care. By using the word “suspend”, it implies possible resumption of the suspended action in the future should the government renege on its part of the deal. This was what informed the union’s insistence that a letter must be written to it on the N200 billion deposited at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by the government.

    By its own framing though, the government believed the action has ended as a fait accompli especially as it believed it has ‘political’ undertones which those in authority find untenable.

    Fagge did not end with the statement earlier quoted. He added that “ASUU would have preferred to undertake the re-negotiation of the 2009 agreement in the second quarter of 2014, but we were persuaded to shift the date to the third quarter, and we agreed as a gesture of goodwill.”

    Do we now need a soothsayer to tell us that the third quarter of 2014 might be problematic given the history of conflict resolution involving ASUU and government? Recollect that the lecturers stuck to their guns as several resolution meetings were deadlocked. As the Americans would say, the buck stops at the Presidents table, it eventually took a marathon 13-hour meeting between the union and President Goodluck Jonathan on November 4 to resolve the complicated disagreement, with the government committing itself to injecting N1.3trillion into public universities between this year and 2018. The compromise – if I may reemphasise here – involved N220 billion yearly government release beginning from 2014, and an agreement to domicile N200 billion in a special account at the Central Bank of Nigeria for the remaining part of this year.

    Perhaps the union knows that these are huge figures and care must be taken that it is properly and adequately expended considering the fact that the strike was predicated on increased funding of the public universities, a declaration of state of emergency in tertiary education, improved wages as well as payment of earned allowances to academic staff. So, now that the first hurdle has been painfully surmounted, what next?

    Some days prior to the suspension of the action, the government instituted a 12-man monitoring committee on the implementation of the recommendation of the Committee on Needs Assessment of Nigerian Universities. They are to oversee the execution of projects on the campuses of the 59 federal and state universities.

    The Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike heads the committee. Other members include the Minister of Labour, Senator Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, Hon Jerry Alagbaoso, Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Education, Executive Secretary NUC, Chairman Board of TeTFund, Presidents of ASUU, NASU, SSANU and NAATS while Mr. Ifiok Ukim, Head of Legal Services at TeTFund will serve as Secretary.

    The Committee, after inauguration, constituted six monitoring teams for the six geo-political zones with responsibility to monitor project implementation in all the universities within the zones.

    On paper and in the news this right is on point! But in reality, most of us will say we’ve heard these before, we are hearing it now and will continue to hear it until something actually changes. For me, I believe the time to set the agenda is now. Education is too critical to be left in the hands of people who do not have the faintest inkling on what qualitative education is all about. I’m also of the opinion that as we set the agenda, we should equally have it at the back of our minds that qualitative education does not come cheap. In essence, we should start exploring avenues where we can have qualitative and affordable education that would not compromise standards.

    It would be naïve for anyone to think the crisis in the sector is over with these funds, far from it. That is why we have to start by holding this committee accountable from day one and ensure that the projects earmarked are properly executed to global standard. Anything short of this would be a national disaster and we would end up where we started.

    This was what Fagge had in mind when he put the suspended strike in perspective. Hear him again: “It is our hope that the government will honour these resolutions as signed.” Without probing further, you’ll know that this is the crux of the matter. Why did he make this comment? Rewind to four years ago when the union had a similar face-off with the Federal Government which lasted four months, and the terms of resolution was what formed the basis of the just suspended action. What they’re saying in earnest is that ‘we can resume our action anytime we feel you’re not keeping your part of the deal.’

    Why am I insisting on setting the agenda? I am because agenda setting describes a very powerful influence of the media – the ability to tell us what issues are important. As far back as 1922, the newspaper columnist Walter Lippmann was concerned that the media had the power to present images to the public.

    Agenda setting theory, therefore, is the creation of public awareness and concern of salient issues by the news media. Two basic assumptions underlie most research on agenda setting. The first is that the press and the media do not reflect reality; they filter and shape it. Secondly, media concentration on a few issues and subjects leads the public to perceive those issues as more important than other issues. One of the most critical aspects in the concept of an agenda setting role of mass communication is the time frame for this phenomenon. In addition, different media have different agenda setting potential. Agenda setting theory seems quite appropriate to help us understand the pervasive role of the media.

    The rot in the education sector is deep and will take years to address – let’s not fool ourselves about that – but we have to start somewhere. That starting point is the ability of the mass media to effect cognitive change among individuals and in the process, structure their thinking. Here may lay the most important effect of mass communication, its ability to mentally order and organise our world for us. In essence, the mass media is often successful in telling us what to think about, and this time, I want us to start thinking of the critical role tertiary education plays in the 21st century world.

  • ASUU strike: The victor, the vanquished

    The phrase “no victor, no vanquished” was made popular by former Head of State Gen Yakubu Gowon after the civil war. At a ceremony to receive the instrument of surrender from Biafra’s Gen Philip Effiong, Gen Gowon declared that the war, which lasted for 30 months, had ended with neither victor nor vanquished.

    In the heat of the recent face off between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government, the Senate President David Mark, last October, urged the striking lecturers to call off the strike, saying there would be “no victor and no vanquished”. But is this really so?

    The “no victor, no vanquished” cliché informed this piece as this writer is vehemently believe that there are victor and vanquished in the just-resolved disagreement between university lecturers and the government.

    Anytime the ASUU goes on strike, certain individuals and organisations benefited immensely from it, and the recent one is not an exception.

    It is important to note that many private universities within the country benefited from the industrial action, as many parents who can afford the high fees withdrew their wards from public school. Today, the private universities have increased number of applicants, compare to what it used to be before. Through this, the private schools become the victor.

    Also, it should be noted that some business owners, companies, organisation and individuals got improve the productivity of their businesses with the cheap labour they got from the idle students. Many students engaged in menial jobs during the strike, even though the money they were been paid was not commensurate with the effort they put in. They accepted it just to keep themselves busy.

    There are students who were paid little to do powerful jobs in bakery, pure water factory and even in bricklaying vocation. So the strike helped these business establishments to improve their productivity with the cheap labour.

    It was also a victory for many universities outside the country, especially neighboring countries such as Ghana, Ivory Coast and Benin Republic. It was reported that there mass exodus of students and lecturers to these countries in the throes of the strike. Today, findings showed that Nigerians now compete with their Ghanaians in staff and students’ strength in universities in Ghana. In the past, Ghanaian students trooped to Nigeria; but today, reverse is the case.

    However, it was a great loss for many people, group including the lecturers. ASUU may not agree that it lost the fight, but the bitter truth is that the prolonged strike has created wound and damage that only time can heal. During the strike, ASUU’s rank depleted unabatedly as many lecturers left the country in search of greener pasture elsewhere.

    As it is, the number of lecturers that left our public schools for private and foreign universities cannot be regained in the next two years. ASUU and the students have lost intellectuals that would take time to be replaced. All this happened because of prolonged industrial action.

    Another great loser is the government and its officials. I considered them losers because they bear the burden of all other losers. In a country where a group of extremists are campaigning against education, they allowed universities to be shut for more than five months.

    During strike, there was an increase in crime rate as idle youths took to crime. This would in turn affect government policies, programme and Transformation Agenda negatively because nothing positive can be achieved in an environment where crime thrives.

    Furthermore, it should be noted that the industrial action affected and still affecting most Nigerians negatively. It affected the commercial motorcyclists on Samaru campus of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria and pepper seller in Sabon Gari. Members of the host community of University of Nigeria, Nsukka complained of poor business activities because students are the consumers of their wares.

    The song is the same at the University of Ibadan (UI) and even worst in Kano where business activities was almost brought to a halt as a result of the strike.

    The so-called “greatest Nigerian students” in all universities are also losers. They lost their colleagues in accidents on their way to homes because of the strike; some have been handicapped as result of police brutality during demonstration. They also lost a very important quantity – time. And it was the same ASUU members that taught us that “time is money and time waits for no one”. But ASUU joined the government to waste our precious time.

    To prevent further loss in future, ASUU should dialogue and negotiate with the government before embarking on strike; it must not go on strike before dialoguing. The government should also not forget that a stitch in time saves nine; it should respect the agreement and act as expected to prevent further waste of time in the future through needless strike.

    •Abdulrahaman, 300-Level Mass Communication, ABU Zaria

     

     

     

     

  • After the strike

    After the strike

    •The Federal Government and labour unions must learn to do things differently

    Now that the about six-month old strike carried out by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been finally called off, it is important for the nation to assiduously seek ways of reducing a recurrence to the barest minimum.

    The ASUU strike has cost Nigeria very dearly. The educational careers of thousands of university students have been extended due to no fault of theirs. As a consequence, more resources will have to be expended in order to complete them. Seminars, conferences, workshops and other meetings scheduled for the closed institutions were cancelled, suspended or relocated, to their detriment. The huge influx of idle and disenchanted youths on to the country’s streets has had negative social consequences as well.

    The Jonathan administration has also been adversely affected. A government headed by a doctorate degree holder and former university lecturer was unable to show the necessary flexibility, tolerance and honour that were vital to ending the strike. Like previous administrations, it ignored several warning strikes, refused to talk with ASUU in good time, and resorted to threats and ultimatums when it was obvious that it was in the wrong.

    If debilitating industrial actions such as that of ASUU are to become few and far in between, there will have to be a change of attitude by all parties concerned, namely government, unions and the citizenry. Government has to begin to accept that the right to withhold labour is an inalienable right in a participatory democracy, and must therefore stop treating those who embark on legitimate strikes as saboteurs or traitors. Rather than adopt a counter-productive hard-line attitude, government should learn to be proactive, and focus on resolving the inequities and misunderstandings that are at the root of most strikes.

    The country’s labour organisations must undergo a similar change of heart. Despite the authenticity of their grievances, unions resort too often to thuggish behaviour in order to make their point. During the just-ended ASUU strike, for instance, there were cases of so-called “activists” ejecting students and lecturers from classes in order to enforce the strike. There can be no justification for the use of force; it is hypocritical for unions which decry government heavy-handedness to resort to it themselves. Indeed, such tactics enable government to sidestep the real issues of the strike and focus on the ostensible maintenance of law and order.

    Nigeria’s citizenry has long been at the receiving end when governments and unions clash. They are the worst affected by the withdrawal of labour. They are the ones who suffer most from government intransigence. After the dust settles, they are expected to pick up the pieces of their lives and carry on as if nothing happened: it is significant that while ASUU members will be paid for the months when they were on strike, no compensation has been announced for the students or their parents and guardians, even though they bore the brunt of the dispute.

    The people of Nigeria can no longer afford to be passive while others disrupt their lives. Instead of just pleading with the belligerents to resolve their issues in the interest of the nation, citizens should seek to become more involved in the issues at stake. In the case of the ASUU strike, for example, nothing stops citizens’ interest groups from demanding regular updates on how government allocations to universities are spent. In the same vein, if citizens had shown more than a passing interest in matters that affect them, it would have been impossible for successive governments to bring the universities to the deplorable state that they are in today. It is ridiculous that the mass of the citizenry are so cut off from issues which affect them so deeply.

    We must note that ASUU did not believe the President’s guarantee that N200 billion had been deposited in the Central Bank. if a president’s word lacks credibility, then it reflects deeply on the sort of leader at the helms in Nigeria. ASUU had to secure a signed guarantee. Very tragic indeed.

  • TUC, NLC to curtail strikes

    TUC, NLC to curtail strikes

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) are to collaborate to end industrial actions in the country from 2014, President of TUC, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama has said.

    He said the two labour umbrella bodies are partnering to curb incessant strikes among their affiliates.

    He assured Nigerians and the government that incessant industrial actions witnessed during the year would be curbed as from next year.

    He said as trade union leaders, they consider strike as the last resort in industrial disputes, adding that the union will see how to resolve it next year.

    “We are going to do our best to see how we will resolve issues before it degenerated into industrial strikes,” he said.

    He regretted the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other strikes that had paralysed the economy.

    Also on the threat by PENGASSAN to embark on strike this yuletide, Kaigama said it was a way of showing their grievances.

  • NLC urges ASUU to double productivity

    The Nigeria Labour Congress in Anambra has called on university lecturers to work harder to make up for the 25 weeks lost to their strike.

    The state Chairman of NLC, Mr. Patrick Obianyo, made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Friday.

    Obianyo described the suspended strike which lasted five months and 18 days as not only regrettable but avoidable.

    He, however, commended the federal government for finding a common ground with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on the issues raised.

    He said that their action showed responsibility and was in the interest of the country’s education sector.

    “The NLC thanks God for helping us see the end of the strike after a period of nearly six months.

    “We want members of ASUU to double their productivity so that we can reduce the extent of damage resulting from the industrial action.

    “The government has shown character and demonstrated faith with the union; it is not cowardice, so students and teachers must justify the gains of that struggle,” he said.

    The labour leader pointed out that there was need for healthy industrial relations between governments at all levels and the labour unions.

    He said it would make for easy resolution of differences and prevent prolonged negotiations.

     

     

     

  • Mark urges Fed Govt, ASUU to implement agreement

    Mark urges Fed Govt, ASUU to implement agreement

    enate President David Mark yesterday urged the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to respect the agreement that led to the end of the union’s six-month strike to avoid a repeat of the “unfortunate dispute”.

    Mark spoke in Abuja while hosting ASUU President Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge; his Vice, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi; and his predecessors, Mr. Dipo Fashina and Dr. Abdullahi Sule-Kano.

    He advised that the N200 billion Education Fund lodged in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to address the ills in the universities should be used judiciously.

    Mark urged them to do all that is required to improve education, which he described as the bedrock of any nation.

    He said: “Education is the foundation of any development. No nation toys with the education of its citizens. We must make our education strong and functional. We must strive to lay a solid foundation for our future.”

    Mark sympathised with ASUU on the death of its former President, Prof. Festus Iyayi.

    He said wide consultation and constant dialogues are the best approach to any disagreement.

    Fagge thanked the Senate for the mediation that led to the end of the strike.

    He said: “I confirm that the agreement has been signed between ASUU and the Federal Government. The N200 billion Education Fund has been deposited at the CBN. We have also constituted an Implementation Monitoring Committee on the agreement to avoid any breach.”