By Kareem Malik
He that fights and runs away lives to fight another day!” is an ancient proverb that conveys a profound message. Paraphrasing this, one can say that ‘not all fights must be won at once’.
Looking at the recent events in the education sector, it is almost evident that the current strike carried out by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is not anywhere near over, or so the leadership of the union may have us believe.
In Nigeria’s education sector, strike actions are very frequent. In 1999, the universities were shut down for over six months over issues that bothered around increased funding for universities, welfare of members and development of dilapidated infrastructure in the university system. In 2001, the universities were again shut down over the same issues. Between 2003 and 2007, the schools were shut down twice for the same reasons.
Consequently students were made to stay idle at home for months. In 2009, the struggle continued and yet again the tertiary education sector was closed for over four months.
To put to an end to the 2009 strike action, the Federal Government set up a team to tackle and provide a lasting solution to the problem. A committee of pro-chancellors of various schools and other respected individuals were given the task.
Grey areas raised by the striking lecturers included the autonomy of universities (specifically, they sought the government to reduce its influence over decision making in the various schools); an increase in retirement age of professors from 65 to 70; increase in funding of federal universities.
They also demanded that the Federal Government make education intervention fund available for state-owned universities (which are the responsibilities of the state governments); and as expected an increase in the welfare packages of union members.
It took over four months, several meetings, countless deliberations and negotiations for an agreement to be reached and signed. With the benefit of hindsight, it has become very obvious that some of the terms of the agreement are not implementable. The Senate President, and many analysts have echoed this position.
For example, ASUU proposed that the government takes steps necessary to ensure that 26% of the country’s budget be allocated to the education sector as advocated by UNESCO and that 50% of that allocation be allotted to tertiary education. In translation,
ASUU requested that 13% of the nation’s budget be allocated to the universities. Considering the fact that Nigeria is a vast nation with a diversified economy, and the recent security challenges in the country, it was almost impossible for government to live up to its own side of the bargain fully.
Nonetheless, the government did increase funding of the education sector and in turn the universities. Budgetary allocation to the educational sector has been on the increase since 2011. It moved from 7% in 2010 to 7.4% in 2011.
In 2012, there was a significant increase that saw the education sector receiving 8.43% of the national budget hitting an all-time highest allocation for the sector (Ministry of Finance, August 2012).
In 2013, aside from allocations to trust funds like the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and its sister agencies, the education received a lion share of 8.67% of the nation’s budget which is about N426.53 billion, making history as the highest allocation to the sector and the first time that the sector received the highest allocation of the budget. Sadly, only 14% of this figure is for capital expenditure, which in turn means that 86% went into recurrent expenditure (Budget Office web release November 2013.)
The trend clearly shows commitment on the part of government to improve education standard in the nation. Despite these interventions, ASUU deemed it fit to embark on another industrial closure in 2013. On July 1, 2013, the union embarked on another strike action, over what it tagged as the failure of government to honor an agreement entered with the union (ASUU).
After several failed meetings, and several attempts by government frustrated, ASUU eventually had an audience with Mr President.
The meeting brought relief to most Nigerians even union leaders seemed optimisticl. ASUU leaders promised to take the benefits and conclusions from the presidential intervention back to its members. This was an indication that the strike would soon be called off.
Ironically, ASUU has come up with new conditions before the schools can be reopened.
The three conditions as contained in a letter written to the supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, dated 25th November 2013 include payment of accumulated salaries owed to them during the strike period, initial release of N100 billion for schools this year and the payment of a balance of N1.1 trillion Naira spread out for the next four years starting in 2014.
These new conditions only confirm the fears of many Nigerians that ASUU has been infiltrated by politicians as a tool against the incumbent administration. Naturally, one would have expected a sign of goodwill with the re-opening of the schools before more bargaining.
Hasn’t the government done enough? One would have expected that since the striking lecturers received the sympathy of many Nigerians, and the ears of Mr President, resumption of the schools would have been a sign of good faith.
It is worthy to note that during the tenure of President Obasanjo, the striking lecturers went on strike without pay. Jonathan hasn’t done the same. Does ASUU take his gentility for granted?.
Can a nation tackle all its problems at once? No!!! But can a nation tackle its problems over time? Yes. ASUU should give the government time to carry out already agreed areas.
*Malik is a post graduate student of the University of Kano.
Km2012@yahoo.comuf
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