The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been on strike for almost a month now. The recent statement credited to President Goodluck Jonathan that ASUU’s demands be implemented, came as a surprise. In the first place, he was part of the late Musa Yar’ Adua government when the agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU was signed a few years back. More importantly, perhaps, is the point that Jonathan government is constituted by many highly educated persons who ought to know the inestimable value of education in a competitive world, a world on the fast lane in pursuit of development. As salutary as the president’s purported statement would appear, it is the opinion of this newspaper that the presidential intervention lacked promptitude. An agreement reached since 2009, and further strengthened by the 2012 Needs Assessment by the government and ASUU on what it would take to make Nigerian universities outstanding ought not to suffer any delay in implementation. ASUU’s 2009 agreement with the government and the 2012 Needs Assessment agreed upon by both parties neuralized the perceived divisions in the education sector. ASUU has always been fighting for the education sector (which includes primary, secondary, technical, teacher training and the university). ASUU’s demands are not holistic, regarding funding for the education sector. Funding covers education infrastructure – like classrooms, libraries, recreational facilities, residential hostels, laboratories, modern teaching aids, internet and artificial intelligence facilities, etc. Salaries and earned allowances which are being demanded feature in the agreement and various understandings between the government and ASUU. It does not appear, however, that the underfunding of education by the Nigerian government is deliberate. What seems apparent is a dubious hidden agenda to downgrade public universities in the country in order to create space for the gluttony of billionaires in and outside Nigeria wishing to either establish private universities or take over existing ones. University autonomy, which is a component of the agreement, is yet to be implemented in the spirit of that agreement. The mathematics behind the composition of university governing councils eventually makes its obvious that government’s position in the universities prevails. Government appointees to the governing councils of universities are politicians or members of the ruling class who work very closely with Vice-Chancellors to ensure that university autonomy is never realised. University autonomy will ensure that erring Vice- Chancellors and academic staff members are disciplined. Competence, pursuit of worthy academic goals thrive when autonomy of universities are guaranteed as has been exemplified by international academic practice. Should the anomaly of subverting university autonomy wait for a strike to be corrected? Closely related to the funding and autonomy of academic institutions is the establishment of a learning – friendly or healthy academic environment. For polities that value education, institutions of higher learning especially are alive 24 hours a day, including during holidays. The universities are meant to be attractive for people to stay and pursue research with zeal. If there is epileptic power supply, no potable water, lack of adequate security on campuses, insufficient reading and lecture rooms etc., the aim of establishing universities becomes defeated. Must the Nigerian government always wait for strikes to get these deficits rectified? Among the list of ASUU’s demands is academic freedom. The employment, promotion and practice of education in Nigeria ensure that only one ideological position holds sway. Private universities make this unilineal ideological trend very explicit. In the private institutions for instance, religion, ethnicity, neo-liberal capitalist doctrines, etc. prevail. Even the entrepreneurship courses espoused by the National Universities Commission (NUC) are part of the illusion that an impoverished or an ill educated Nigerian student can become an entrepreneur overnight without massive economic support. Academic freedom will ensure that Nigeria produces graduates who are truly innovative. Academic excellence from the point of admission into tertiary institutions, to the point of promotion of academic and non academic staff members should be the goal. We believe Jonathan administration is in a position to address all the demands of ASUU, including adequate remuneration, in order to avert further brain drain.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 16:53:40 +0000
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