‘We Teach On Empty Stomach, Drive Rickety Cars’ — ASUU Threatens Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised concerns over deteriorating conditions in Nigerian public universities and warned of a potential industrial crisis if issues aren’t addressed.

The union, in a statement signed by its president, Christopher Piwuna, on Saturday, lamented that lecturers teach on empty stomachs, conduct research in libraries and laboratories bereft of essential electronic and physical journals, books, chemicals and reagents.

“They engage with communities and agencies in rickety cars while encumbered by utility bills, children’s fees, house rents, family upkeep and a legion of other unmet responsibilities. Yet elite Nigerians are quick to blame the universities for “producing unemployable graduates” and failure to initiate innovative research for addressing the country’s problems our members feel forgotten, shamed and demoralised by past and present governments,” he said.

Piwan noted that despite Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa’s declaration that “not again ever in this country will ASUU or tertiary institutions, trade unions, teachers, lecturers go on strike”, renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement remains unresolved eight months after submission of a draft by the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed committee.

“Agents of government at the State and Federal levels have characteristically thrown the underlying principles of the Agreement overboard and resorted to platitudes and tokenism. They pick and choose what aspect(s) of the package to “renegotiate” and implement.

“They discountenance the morale of intellectual workers and basic requirements for delivering on their mandate of teaching, research and (community) service. And, now, we hear of attracting academics who were forced into seeking better work environment elsewhere as “volunteers” with the “Diaspora Bridge”! On what foundation will the bridge stand? Does this not amount to hypocrisy?,” Piwan queried.

The president lamented that the Nigerian governments have distracted and deceived university lecturers for too long adding that they push academics to the point of a strike, and turn round to withhold their salaries.

“A government introduces a corruption-laden IPPIS, yet goes ahead to punish lecturers for opting out of the pipeline of corruption. Lecturers are promoted in the universities, but those responsible for giving cash backing withhold it with impunity, with several years of promotion areas outstanding.

“When a government punishes its citizens for demanding what is due to them, can it have any moral claim to democratic culture? Where public officials and bureaucrats have the license to undervalue their country’s intellectual assets will the hope of a knowledge-driven economy not elude the nation? ,” he asked.

ASUU also condemned attempts to turn universities into “commodities for politicians and contractors” in Vice Chancellor appointments.

“Our union is also gravely concerned by decisions of some governing councils at the federal and state Universities, Universities that are built on merit and scholarship are been turned into commodities for politicians and contractors in the appointment of Vice Chancellors.

“ASUU condemns the attempt to bring back the Ag. Vice Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, despite clear evidences to the fact that her promotion to the rank of a Reader and Professor were fraught with a lot of contradictions, similar things are unfolding in federal universities,” Piwan stated.

ASUU therefore urged Nigerians to pressure Nigeria’s governments to address labour issues in universities to prevent another industrial crisis.

“For the umpteenth time, ASUU invites all genuine patriots to prevail on Nigeria’s Federal and State Governments to address all lingering labour issues in the Nigerian University System to avert another looming industrial crisis.

“Nigerian academics are tired of governments’ excuses which have only left them with a long list of Memoranda of Understanding/Memoranda of Action (MoUs/MoAs) -2013, 2017, 2019, 2020-and kept them talking over the renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement for upward of eight years!
“ No memorandum or “discussion” can take the place of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which fully addresses staff welfare issues and the requisite environment for productive academic work. The time to act is now!,” he said.

‘We Teach On Empty Stomach, Drive Rickety Cars’ — ASUU Threatens Strike is first published on The Whistler Newspaper