ASUU Latest News: Parents, Students Count Losses As Strike Continues
Talking about the latest on ASUU Strike, here is a beautiful piece put together by Ishola Balogun & Aderonke Adeyeri of PunchNG. Here they give a good coverage of the 2013 ASUU Strike including latest news and information. This piece also includes reactions from the leadership of ASUU, Students and Parents to the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Read the full details as published on PunchNG
In spite of the several negotiations between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the subsequent release of N130 billion for infrastructural development and allowances to the striking lecturers, ASUU, said the stike would continue until the 2009 Agreement entered into by both parties is fully implemented.
With the release of the funds of which N100 billion would go for infrastructure development of the universities and N30billion for allowances of lecturers, many, especially the students who bear the brunt of the imbroglio thought that the lecturers would sheath their sword and go back to classes.
But the leadership of the Union has consistently maintained that the full implementation of the nine-point agreement it signed with the Federal government in 2009, will see them back to classes.
The leadership of the Union had wondered why government decided to dangle N30 billion as part of the allowances to placate them, thereby making it seem as if the issue was about allowances.
The Union National President, Dr. Nassir Isa told newsmen recently: “When the strike started, government mischievously announced to Nigerians that ASUU strike was chiefly for the sake of money in the form of Earned Academic Allowances. Also at every meeting since the strike began, government’s team always repeat that the allowances were the major issue in contention even when the union has repeatedly said the contrary.
“Why would government dangle N30 billion as if it was a dole-out when in fact, that amount was unrelated to the agreement and the work of implementation committee? he queried.
Sixty days on without any indication for a cease fire, some parents, students and concerned Nigerians spoke to Saturday Vanguard on the issue.
Ms Temitope Ajayi, a.k.a. Mama Diaspora lent her voice to the development saying lecturers ought to have suspended the strike immediately the President waded in and ordered the release of N30billion to the striking lecturers.
“The lecturers should first appreciate the President’s gesture of offering N30billion as part of the allowances of the lecturers. They should therefore go back to classes while negotiations continue on whatever grey areas left. It is by showing that honour and respect to the President who first made an offer that whatever argument or grey areas they have can be successfully pushed forward. I sympathise with them but also, they should know that when two elephants fight, the chief victim is the grass and in this case, the students are the chief victims.
“They should also understand that the future of our children is important. We need to make sacrifices, and no sacrifice is too much to save the coming generation. These children will spend so much time in the university before graduating and besides, it actually makes some of them to lose focus, because they use the strike time to do some other things instead on concentrating on their studies. Some of them become negatively affected. It is not right. How can we juxtapose a situation like this with the quest for allowances.”
Reacting on the full implementation of the 2009 agreement both parties entered into, Ms Ajayi faulted the leadership of ASUU saying: “That condition in itself is faulty; how can you implement a nine-point agreement in one day. It has to be a gradual thing and that is why I said they should have suspended the strike and continue negotiation on the full implementation of the agreement.”
Students react
The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Coordinator in the South-South and South-East, Comrade Chinonso Obasi, expressed worry that the students are feeling the brunt of the strike following the failure of the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to fully reconcile their differences.
Just before press time, Comrade Chinonso Obasi, took to the streets, protesting the prolong strike action, barricading the Benin-Asaba expressway by head bridge, Onitsha, Anambra State. They told those who cared to listen that if government and the teachers failed to settle their differences, within a one week ultimatum, they will mobilise other students across the country for a showdown. Other students who were not able to join their colleagues in that zone also spoke with Saturday Vanguard on the effect of the prolong strike.
The leader of the Students’ Union Governance, SUG, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Comrade Omojola Ayokunle Abisoye opined that the strike has had adverse effects on students. “Since the beginning of the strike, all universities in the federation have been grounded. Presently, there are students that have been mobilized for their National Youth Service Corps NYSC but that are still at home.
“We have students that are supposed to be in the Law school by October, but are yet to know their fate. Some new students (jambites) cannot write their Post-Jamb exams due to the strike. Besides, an idle hand is the devil’s workshop. Idleness encourages youths to ungodly behaviour like stealing, prostitution and other vices. A country that is combating insecurity, unemployment, corruption and the rest should not walk this path.”
He advised that the federal government should implement the agreement as entered into in 2009. Abisoye chided the Federal Government saying that it displayed a high level of inconsistency and toying with education knowing that education is the bedrock for any country to develop.
According to him, “the fund allocated for education this year is far below the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO standard and even below what was being allocated for the sector before now. The UNESCO standard is 26.6% but even if the government cannot afford this, it should be close to the figure and not as low as 8%.
“‘It is in the interest of the students that the strike should be suspended. But at the same time, let’s not forget that quality education remains the bedrock of a nation. During the last ranking of tertiary schools in Africa, Nigeria was nowhere among the first hundred not to talk of world ranking of tertiary schools. The reason is not far-fetched: Lack of funds; embezzling of funds allocated for the educational sector; poor salary for lecturers; etc and at the end of the day, government will complain that universities are producing unqualified graduates who cannot defend their certificates”.
He implored ASUU to be honest in their dealings with the government, adding that if their demands are fully met, lecturers would go to their duty posts and face their jobs squarely. He advised that ASUU should look beyond their salary and allowances and work towards a better educational sector in Nigeria.
Also, a student of Applied Chemistry, Inaolaji Alabi of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH lamented the intermittent break in academic programmes in government owned tertiary institutions saying, “The incessant breaks in academic session of public universities is a major factor contributing to the decline of education quality in Nigeria.”
Each time an academic session is abruptly interrupted, we students lose concentration resulting in poor academic performance and ‘Carry-overs’ to tackle. ASUU and the federal government should find another means of settling their differences.”
“As a final year student, the strike has affected me negatively because I’m yet to complete my project but I want the government to understand that the strike affects all students right from the first year to the final year students both psychologically and socially.”
“The strike is one of the factors that had led to the poor ranking of tertiary institutions, resulting in the compression of academic calendar while also skipping some topics in the course outline. Then students will write exams on what were not taught resulting in poor performance and decline in quality of education. All these will only help to produce half-baked graduates.”
He advised the federal government to honour the agreement entered into with ASUU so that they can go back to classes, adding: “we are tired of staying at home and our time is slipping away”.
