The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Strike

  • ‘We are on strike to save education’

    ‘We are on strike to save education’

    For several hours last Friday in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, members of unions in the education sector, the Joint Action Front (JAF), a civil society organisation, protested what it called the rot in the education sector. They were joined by some civil society, human rights and non-governmental organisations. EMMANUEL AHANONU (Political Science) and PRINCESS ANN OTUDOR (100-Level Theatre Arts, University of Calabar) report.

    Their anger showed as they converged on the Botanical Garden Park on Mary Slessor Avenue in Calabar the Cross River State capital. It was 8:30am and the presence of these placard-bearing men and women startled passers-by.

    That early Friday morning, their solidarity songs rent the air. “Education must be funded! Education must be funded!! Education, Education, Education must be funded!!!” They sang. The song continued till 9:30am when they were set for the grand march against what they called the government’s insensitivity to the development of education.

    The demonstrators are members of unions in the education sector under the aegis of the Joint Action Front (JAF). Joined by civil society, human rights and non-governmental organisations, lecturers, non-teaching staff and students of public universities in the Southsouth zone, they took to the streets to draw attention to the plight of education.

    The protesting unions included the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP).

    Others were the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Nigeria Union Teachers (NUT), Education Rights Campaign (ERC), National Union of Campus Journalists (NUCJ) and Students Rights Movements.

    Displaying placards with inscriptions such as: “Nigeria is not broke; where is the N2.6 trillion paid as subsidy for undelivered fuel?”; “Nigeria government show concern; Education is a right for all citizens”; “Save education in Nigeria, do what is right”; “Public schools are dying”; “Federal Government must stop deceiving the public, implement agreement with ASUU now” and “They must stop looting and fund education”, the protesters marched on major roads, paralysing vehicular movement.

    Leaving the Botanical Garden, the protesters marched through Target Street to Nelson Mandela Street and gathered at the Watt Market – the biggest market in Calabar. For 20 minutes, the protesters addressed traders, telling them of the government’s careless policies to “kill education”.

    At Etim Edem Motor Park, JAF Secretary Comrade Abiodun Aremu addressed the crowd in pidgin English, on why the people must stand by the striking lecturers. He listed what he called government’s iniquities against quality education, saying the country’s leaders were looting public funds to establish private school at the expense of public institutions.

    A lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof Israel Wuruji, while addressing the protesters, said: “We are out today to let Nigerians know that the public education system is collapsing or has collapsed absolutely. If nothing is done to address the situation, our children would suffer. All of us here benefited from the public education system. But, today, our children can no longer have quality education at their door step. Why must we send our children to private schools built by corrupt politicians?

    “Universities have been closed down for two months now, but the government is not concerned to address the issue. We were told that the government would release N130 billion to fund education. When the government realised that what is needed to make our schools provide quality education is N1.3 trillion, which they want to provide within the next three years, they agreed that they will release N400 billion every year. But they have brought it down to N130 billion. The question is: if you have a child who has been diagnosed of a disease that needs surgical operation and you are giving that child Panadol and telling him ‘don’t die’, can we say you care for the child? So, what the government is doing today is paying lip service to quality education.”

    Prof Wuruji noted that the ongoing ASUU strike had nothing to do with lecturers’ salary, saying the union is on strike to force the government to improve poor facilities in schools.

    To ensure that their message got to the ordinary people on the street, the protesters addressed the public in different languages, including Hausa, Igbo, Efik and pidgin English. At Gbogo-Biri Street, the message was communicated to members of the Hausa-Fulani Muslim Community by Alhaji Abubakar Abdulahi, the group’s secretary.

    Leaving U. J. Esuene Stadium, the protesters proceeded to the Cross River Government House. As they approached the gate of the Government House, a drama ensued. Some armed policemen and soldiers drafted to the scene ordered them to leave the area, saying the governor was not around.

    It took about 10 minutes for the professors among the protesters to convince the security operatives that the demonstration was not against the governor. After the explanation, the policemen escorted the protesters with four vans till they dispersed hours later.

    Other areas visited by the demonstrators included Diamond Hill and Murtala Mohammed Highway, from where they dispersed.

    In a statement, its chairman, Dr Dipo Fashina, and Secretary Aremu, said the rally was to identify with ASUU and the public towards improving education.

    “Each time the union goes on strike, it is because the federal and state governments have failed to implement agreements they freely entered into and signed with the lecturers’ unions. Central to saving public education is that the government must fund education in line with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) standard of 26 per cent and make education free for all,”said the statement.

    Students, who participated in the rally, urged the government to accede to their lecturers’ demands.

  • SSANU threatens indefinite strike

    SSANU threatens indefinite strike

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has said it may embark on an indefinite strike if the Federal Government does not implement the agreement it signed in 2009.

    The National Vice-President of the union, Comrade Alfred Jimoh, spoke yesterday at the SSANU congress organised to discuss the hazard and earned allowances as well as other issues.

    It was held at the Arts Theatre Hall of the University of Ibadan (UI).

    The union leader said: “We have been reading the lips of the government and have been observing their body language. We think what they are intending to do, particularly with respect to the earned allowances, is not in the interest of our members.”

    He said the agreement has been in operation since 2009 and some earned allowances from the agreement have not been implemented.

    Jimoh said a struggle is going on with the union in the university system over accrued allowances and other parts of their allowances, stressing that the Federal Government offered something, which does not solve the problem.

    He said the Federal Government paid about N30 billion as part of an allowance that had accrued to over N90 million, adding that they have not spoken on how the continuous implementation of the agreement would be.

    Comrade Jimoh said SSANU has been discussing with the government, which has yielded only promises, adding that when the union discovers that the government has failed, it would begin strike.

    He noted that SSANU would pressurise the government to ensure that all aspects of the agreement are implemented.

    The Chairman of SSANU, UI branch, Comrade Wale Akinrinde, said the congress is determined to hold a peaceful protest from the venue of the congress to the main gate of the university, to sensitise the public to what they experience in the university system.

    He added that they were persuaded by their vice- president not to begin the protest until they discovered that the government was not yielding.

    Akinrinde said: “We do not know why the government is not willing to implement an agreement duly signed between us.”

    He went on: “The Federal Government threw peanuts at us as if we are dogs. They allowed the money to pile up and they are not coming up to say when they will pay the rest of the money.”

    Comrade Akinrinde said the union is also concerned about the development of infrastructures, laboratories and the training of workers.

    He enjoined the unions, workers and patriotic Nigerians to fashion out a way for the survival of the universities.

  • Students slam govt over strike

    Students of Nasarawa State University (NSU) in Keffi have expressed concern over the government’s unwillingness to honour the 2009 agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    A 300-Level student of Political Science, Moses Ndung, blamed the Federal Government for the ongoing ASUU strike.

    He said: “I think it is morally wrong for the government to have reneged on its promise. No amount of investment in education is too much. The government should play their part of the bargain so that Nigerian students can return to their classrooms. “

    For Faruk Tanko, 100-Level English, the Federal Government seems to be inconsiderate of the plight of students. She said: “I am a fresher in this institution and it’s been a catalogue of crisis for us here since January. Earlier in the year, there was a protest, which led to the temporary closure of the university. Later, ASUU downed their tools and we were sent home. Now, it is another tale of industrial action. This is unbecoming of a so-called transformational administration. it is a bad precedent for us as new students. Education is a right that the government owes all of us as citizens and I wonder why they are paying lip services to it. We are tired of continue staying at home, they should meet ASUU demands to guarantee our resumption.”

    A final year student of Economics Education, Haliru Yusha’u, said: “ASUU has been patient enough. The 26 per cent budgetary allocation to education as directed by UNESCO is a sin qua non if we must make progress in education. I am appealing to the Federal Government to have a rethink and meet the demands of the striking lecturers.”

     

  • NMA withdraws from health workers’ strike

    NMA withdraws from health workers’ strike

    The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has dissociated itself from the nationwide strike of the Joint Health Workers’ Union (JOSEHU) barely four days after the commencement of the industrial action.

    The Chairman of Gombe State chapter of the NMA, Dr. Jauro Degri, announced the association’s withdrawal at a news briefing in Gombe.

    He said the public should not panic because of the industrial action.

    Dr. Degri assured that medical doctors are on ground at the Federal Medical Centre in Gombe to render services to patients.

    “All outpatient clinics are going on as expected. Specialist services are also going on as usual. The hospital will continue to render emergency services,” he said.

    Dr. Degri said whatever services the health facility cannot render following the ongoing strike “we can always advise and direct patients to where they can be attended to.”

    “We appeal to the public not to panic, as doctors are working round the clock to ensure that our people do not suffer as a result of the strike,” he said.

    JOSEHU declared the strike four days ago over some demands it has with the Federal Ministry of Health.

     

  • NMA withdraws from health Workers’ strike

    NMA withdraws from health Workers’ strike

    The Nigerian Medical Association has dissociated itself from the ongoing health workers’ strike.

    The Chairman of Gombe State chapter of NMA, Dr. Jauro Degri, announced the body’s withdrawal at a press briefing in Gombe.

    He also said members of the public should not to panic because of the industrial action.

    He assured that medical doctors are on ground at the Federal Medical Centre in Gombe to render services to patients.

    “All outpatient clinics are going on as expected. Specialist services are going on as usual. The hospital will also continue running some emergency services,” he explained.

     

  • Strike: Govt offers to pay ASUU N30b allowances

    Strike: Govt offers to pay ASUU N30b allowances

    We’ll report to our principals, say teachers

    APC urges action

    University teachers have been offered N30 billion to call off their strike.

    The cash will be for their allowances, which they said the Federal Government had agreed to pay in an October 2009 deal.

    The teachers are asking for N87 billion, besides other demands.

    The government had earlier approved N100 billion for projects in the 61 public universities.

    President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the two Federal Government committees negotiating the requests by ASUU to take immediate measures at ending the strike, which began on July 1.

    The Chairman of the Universities Needs implementation Committee and Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, announced the presidential directive after a meeting yesterday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    At the meeting were Vice-President Namadi Sambo, the Chairman of the Earned Allowance Committee; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim; Ministers of Education Prof. Ruqayyat Rufai and Labour, Emeka Wogu, National Universities Commission (NUC) Executive Secretary Prof. Julius Okogie and Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadome, attended the meeting.

    Suswam said ASUU ought to call off its strike based on the N130 billion that the government offered.

    The cash is made up of the N100 billion to be injected into infrastructure in the 61 public universities (federal and states) and the N30 billion for the earned allowances of lecturers.

    For shifting ground from no money to agreeing to assisting the Governing Councils of universities with the N30 billion for the earned allowances, Suswam said ASUU should reconsider its stance on the strike.

    But ASUU remained adamant last night. Its President, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge, said the negotiation team would report back to “our principals” when asked whether the teachers were willing to accept the government’s offer and call off the strike.

    Fagge said: “The objective of the on going strike is to get government to implement the 2009 ASUU/ FGN agreement, particularly to implement the provision of the memorandum of understanding we reached in 2012. “It’s important to clarify that at this point, we are not making a demand. There was an agreement with government. At this point, what the union is talking about is the 2009 agreement, not the renegotiation of the agreement.”

    He added: “We will wait to hear from government. For now, we will go back and report to our principals.”

    Suswam said the Federal Government will meet the universities’ councils and vice chancellors this week to update them on the decisions taken so far and to urge them to certify those really entitled to the N30 billion to be released for the earned allowances.

    On whether the Federal Government is ready to shift ground from what it is offering, he said: “Well, let me say that negotiation is still on-going. The Federal Government has opted to also meet with the Councils and managements of the universities because earned allowance is something that can be certified by the management and councils of the universities.

    “Yes, if ASUU said this is the amount of money that the Federal Government is owing them and the government has shifted ground from its initial posture that there was no money to offering N30 billion, it means we are moving forward and with N100 billion available now for addressing the physical infrastructure deficit in our universities, I think the Federal Government has done quite well to have moved to where we are today.”

    Suswam added: “I can say that we have made substantial progress and we are hoping that this strike should be called off, based on some of the mechanisms that we have put in place to move the sector forward.

    “We met extensively yesterday. You know there are two components, to the whole issue; the needs assessment component, which is the one that I’m handling. We have to some large extent, concluded on that, the earned allowance committee, which is being headed by the SGF; that is where there are some contentions, but as you must have heard, the federal government made an offer of N30 billion to assist the various Councils of our universities to be able to pay the earned allowances.

    “There is also N100 billion that is why myself, the Minister of Finance, the SGF, the ministers of Education, Labour, the Chief of Staff and the VP have just risen from a meeting to take some decisions that would end the strike and the President has instructed us as to what to do and he has shown a lot of commitments and launching of projects worth N100 billion in the 61 universities.

    “So, we are hoping that we will be able to see the end of the strike very soon if at the end of the day ASUU is satisfied with the measures that have so far been taken. The President has graciously agreed that in the first week of September, he will be able to launch the projects.

    “You also know that the procurement process will have to be followed and these projects include hostels in our universities, classrooms and lecture theatres, libraries and laboratories, among others. Some are renovations, some are new and all the 61 universities are going to benefit from one project or another.

    “So it is not going to be selective; all the universities are going to benefit from this infrastructural revitalisation of our universities,” he said.

     

  • UCH workers begin indefinite strike

    Health workers at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, under the aegis of the National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), yesterday began an indefinite strike.

    The health workers are demanding the abolition of the appointment of only full time staff of universities as chief executives of teaching hospitals and federal medical centres; the abolition of the offices of Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee; the release of the interview conducted for members of the union for the posts of directors; stoppage of the imposition of doctors as heads of department over other professionals and the removal of the Minister of Health.

    Workers, whose services would be affected by the strike, are pharmacists, physiotherapists, medical laboratory scientists, radiographers, dental technologists, occupational therapists, health information officers, dental therapists, dietitians and other related professionals.

    Speaking with reporters yesterday, the NUAHP Chairman in UCH, Mr. Sotiloye Olusegun, told members of the union to withdraw their services following the directive of the national body.

    Olusegun said the Federal Ministry of Health has failed to accede to the union’s demands.

    He said: “The current practice in which the chief medical directors of teaching hospitals and medical directors of Federal Medical Centres are appointed from among only one group of professionals (i.e the physicians) should stop.

    “The post should be open to all health professionals. Physicians have been using this post to oppress and suppress other professionals in the health sector, a situation that has hindered the growth of other health professionals and kept them under tyrannical administrations.”

     

     

     

  • Lawmakers’ pay: NLC may embark on strike

    Lawmakers’ pay: NLC may embark on strike

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to embark on another strike against what it termed the outrageous annual basic salary of the lawmakers.

    It described the basic salary as injurious to the economy.

    NLC said the legislators’ basic salary per annum is unfair, insensitive and unsustainable.

    The Vice-President of the NLC, Comrade Issa Aremu, spoke yesterday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at a National Women Workshop organised by the National Union of Textiles, Garments and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN).

    Its theme is: “Leadership skills development for women members of NUTGTWN.”

    Over 80 participants came from over 30 states.

    Aremu, who is also the General- Secretary of NUTGTWN, urged the lawmakers to demonstrate statesmanship by reviewing downwards their annual emoluments.

    Said he: “Their salary is not even linked to their productivity. If they refuse, we must call them to order. Their constituents should call them to order. They can’t be holier than the Pope.

    “If they refuse to reduce their salary, we will take the battle to their constituencies. Anything short of this will make us take to the streets and NLC is ready to lead the way.

    “How can a legislator earn about $189,000 (N30.24 million) as basic salary per annum? Our lawmakers are the second highest paid in the world next to those in Australia.”

    Comrade Aremu said it would take a worker earning the monthly minimum wage of N18,000 about 140 years to save N30.24 million “if the worker saves his whole salary.”

    NLC said it would take an average worker 667 years to be at the same salary level with a lawmaker whose total emolument per annum is put at about N46 million.

    These disparities, according to the NLC, could not be divorced from the present widening gap between the ruling class and the masses.

    It urged a review of the system to save the nation from collapse.

    Aremu said a strike could be the most potent weapon to be employed if the lawmakers failed to heed their advice.

    “This is a persuasive approach now, but if they refuse, we will march to their constituencies and if they still pauperize Nigerians, we will take to the streets to show them the power of the electorate over the elected. How can a Nigerian legislator be earning more than the American President?”

    The NLC leader described as paradoxical, the condition of Nigerians whose country is ranked 12th in the hierarchy of oil producing nations, but they could seldom afford daily meals.

    He said: “Our leaders should stop their mantras on the deportation of the destitute. Rather, they should be worried on how to curb destitution. The basic key to eradicate destitution is provision of employment. The surest way to provide employment is by resuscitating our moribund industries.

    “Those using motorcycles for commercial purposes are not in employment, because soon they will no longer enjoy patronage as everybody you see now uses motorcycles for commercial reasons. In any case, why should Diploma holders be using motorcycles as a means of livelihood? We at the labour are seeing this joblessness of the youth at the face of the nation’s affluence as a class war against the less privileged. We will not allow it because if we do, someone may one day order the deportation of sacked workers to their states of origin.”

  • FG, ASUU talks inconclusive

    *Parties yet to agree on two issues

    *Strike may be called off next week, says Suswam

     

    The meeting to resolve the crisis between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, could not be concluded on friday.

    Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam was drafted by government to Head the implementation of Needs Assessment Report on Nigerian Universities.

    Suswam, who spoke with journalists last night in Abuja after about six hours meeting, disclosed that there were still pending issues to be resolved next week before the ASUU strike could be called off.

    According to him, there are still two knotty issues to be resolved including earned allowance and funding of university education in view of the infrastructural deficit in the university system.

    Apart from the two unresolved issues, he said that all other issues raised by ASUU have been agreed upon by the two sides.

    While the SGF would meet with ASUU leadership on Monday towards resolving the issue of earned allowance, he said that he would lead his committee on Implementation of Needs Assessment to meet with ASUU on Thursday to finalize issues on funding.

    He was optimistic that all the two pending issues would be resolved next week in order for ASUU to call off the strike.

    Assuring that his Committee would leave no stone unturned to ensure that there was sustained funding for Nigerian universities, he lamented the present rot in the Nigerian Universities.

    Speaking earlier in his opening remark at the meeting, Senator Anyim reiterated the determination of the Federal Government to resolve the crisis so that the lecturers can return to classroom.

    He said: “Our meeting today is blessed with injection of new hands, new faces and new minds. It is expected that our meeting today will be fruitful because we would have more hands helping us to resolve what is outstanding”.

    “You might also recalled that the implementation committee of Needs Assessment Report to Nigerian Universities was just inaugurated. The Chairman of that Committee is Governor Gabriel Suswam. After the inauguration of that committee, we appealed to him to join us in this meeting that is following soon after.

    “On this note, I am convinced that their desire to see this matter resolved is simply because of their commitment to national progress,” he stated.

  • Strike: No renegotiation with FG – ASUU

    Strike: No renegotiation with FG – ASUU

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Thursday said it would not renegotiate with the Federal Government if the previous agreement is not implemented.

    Unlike many other African countries that vote significantly for education funding on annual basis, the union members said Nigeria votes the least budget to education, while pumping huge sums to irrelevant projects that do not encourage research and development.

    Compared to the academics, local government councilors earn even more than professors, just as Nigerian legislators receive salaries that triple those of the professors who trained them in schools.

    The ASUU members made the position known at the Paul Hendrickse Hall of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, venue of a symposium entitled: “Education, Research and Development in Nigeria.”

    In attendance were the national treasurer of the union and former Chairman, UI branch, Dr. Ademola Aremu, incumbent Chairman Dr. Segun Ajiboye, Prof. Millicent Obajimi (former Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association), Dr. Abass Abdulsalaam and Dr. Femi Afolabi, among others.

    They maintained that demands for full implementation of the agreement with the government were unshaken.