COW TO ASUU’s DEMANDS: FUEL CORRUPTION AND GREED AND IMMORTALISE COMRADE FAGEE-AN OPINION The impasse between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government has dragged on for four months now. My latest “theory” is that university students should not expect to see the walls of a lecture theatre in 2013 again. Quite frankly, my prayer is that by this time next year, may we not still be on strike (#priceless). The issue is that the main actors (ASUU and FG) have failed to reach an agreement. At this point, when I hear/read statements made by officials of the two groups, it looks clear that there is a fundamental misunderstanding—ASUU and FG do not understand each other’s position although the FGs position looks clearer: work with the funds available and we promise to improve funding to universities in the future. ASUU’s demands on the other hand are haphazard: N92bn of unpaid allowances, revitalise the universities, better living conditions in student hostels, etc. It even gets more complicated with State owned and funded varsities being part of the action. Without polarity, clear-thinking onlookers will know which of the fighters deserve more blame in this fracas. The issue in this article is that if FG cows to ASUU’s demands, it can only go to fuel corruption and greed and fill up the ego-laden tank of one man—Fagee. As a final year student in a premier institution of learning in Nigeria, I can speak with a level of confidence about the state in which many federal and state institutions in the country are run. The truth is, there is corruption in the Nigerian university system. Monies meant for developmental projects end up in private hands of personages at the echelon of the academia and administration. The academia and administrators at the lower rung resort to “handouts”, “sorting” and bribes. The “little” available has not been utilised for the good of the students who have their school fees increased by these same institutions with impunity. In my school, we have witnessed an average increase of N33,000 in the last 3 years, in fees like the acceptance fee and school fee. Also, any attempt to protest poor living conditions or unreasonable increments often meets with brutal force from security personnel (mostly police) who seem to be in connivance with the vice-chancellors (birds of a feather flop together). Availability of more funds in the varsity system without sanitising it will only increase corruption and when other unions start making outrageous demands, then we will know that ASUU’s greed has spread. More reasonably, such amount of money should be appropriated to primary education which forms the bedrock of education and literacy in every society. An individual with poor foundational education will amount to almost nothing with a good tertiary education (if the individual can get into the tertiary institution in the first place). Quite practically, if universities want that amount of money, let there be an agreement synergising university authorities with the EFCC and ICPC for close monitoring, period. Further, I must address the issue of Dr. Fagee, ASUU President; whose fight for allowances, liberties and rights is good. With all due respect sir, all the honour, name and heroism you seek cannot be obtained from this unreasonable fight. Your fight with the FG is a classical case of where personal desire or differences (worked up by ego) between two men put nations at war. The varsity system, we all know, has fallen on hard times but we cannot revitalise it in a day. Moreover, it is this same crop of your generation of lecturers who enjoyed the system in their days and later turned to lay waste of it when they came to the helms. Sir, I must say that your fight is noble and novel after all history shows that past ASUU presidents only fight for benefits and allowances for their cohorts but you have incorporated demands for quality of institutions and students’ welfare. What remains is for tinges of humility and reasonability to be applied in this agitation. A professor acquaintance of mine has repeatedly spoken of how ASUU members are tired and uninterested in the strike but for the future benefits accruing to them. FG must reason with ASUU but should not be boxed into accepting the latter’s demands as such a move will only birth a myriad of other problems. FGs present stance is logical, ASUU can work with the disbursements (NEEDS Assessment and budgetary allocation) while the FG fashions ways to increase funding to the educational sector. No nation that strives for greatness should ignore education. I believe Mr. President understands this (his regime has these achievements: Almajiris Model Education Scheme, Presidential Scholarship Scheme, 6 new Federal Universities, etc.). As our Dream Nigeria is a project facing multiple challenges, we must be realistic of the obstacles and team up in unity and determination to together build the Nigeria of our dreams. Bless.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 15:06:39 +0000
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