The meeting between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ended in deadlock on Wednesday last week, to further prolong the six months old industrial action that has crippled academic activities in Nigeria’s public universities.
ASUU had embarked on strike on February 14, over unfulfilled agreements with the federal government. The contentious issues range from the non-release of revitalization funds, earned allowances, the use of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for salary payment to the re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement – and that’s among others.
The lingering industrial action resulting from the inability of the government and the academic unions to reach a consensus, has kept students atrophying at home. The unions involved include the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Union of Education and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists, (NAAT).
At this point, it appears that the strike is going to endure indefinitely as none of the responsible parties seems ready to yield. The federal government said that it does not have the money to meet ASUU’s financial demands, which amounts to N1.12 trillion.
“The Federal Government will incur an additional N560 billion as salaries alone, on top of the present N412b, less all other allowances such as Earned Academic Allowances and fringe benefits, Teaching Allowance, field trip, responsibility and post-graduate supervision allowances, hazard allowances, which were to gulp another N170 billion.
“In all, the sum of N1.12 Trillion will be needed to pay the salaries and allowances of university lecturers and other staff in the university system. At present, the wage bill of the university staff and their colleagues in teaching health systems gulp nearly 50 per cent of the total federal government staff personnel cost/wages,” Minister of Labour and Employment Dr. Chris said.
The union said the fund is part of the Agreement it had with the government in the past, aimed to improve both the welfare of academic union staff and the quality of education in Nigeria.
In its latest push to end the strike, the federal government has approved an additional N100 billion for the university sector. In addition, the government also approved N50 billion to be shared by the university-based unions as earned allowances.
However, the latest efforts have failed to cajole ASUU to sheath its sword, even though other unions, as a sign of goodwill through their Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Saturday, decided to call off their strike for two months. ASUU had demanded that the five months withheld salaries of its members be paid as a condition to consider suspending the strike.
The federal government had invoked the ‘no work, no pay’ policy for ASUU members, a move the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu told journalists on Thursday that it will be totally implemented. The union had said in response to the threat, it will forego outstanding academic sessions.
At the receiving end of this faceoff are the public university students, whose academic journey will eventually be elongated with more years. This marks the 19 months that ASUU has been on strike under President Muhammadu Buhari.
As the strike lives longer, parents and students are counting on political pressure to compel the federal government to meet ASUU’s demand. Though it’s not a sure hope but it looks promising. In the election period that the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), is fighting for reelection, there is belief that the federal government will eventually yield to ASUU so as not to hurt its chances at the poll.
But Vanguard reported, quoting sources, that the federal government is planning to scrap ASUU, to put an end to the lingering strike. According to the report, people in the Presidency and the Ministry of Education Education, who spoke on anonymity said that if ASUU refused to reciprocate the Federal Government’s gesture by calling off the strike, the government would consider the option of prescribing the union.
“The government has so many options if ASUU refuses to be patriotic. One of the options is the proscription of ASUU which is contained in the Trade Unions Act and even in the Trade Disputes Act.
“The President can proscribe an association whose action is inimical and constitute economic sabotage to a country. In the Trade Unions Act, the President can withdraw the certificate of any organization whose conduct is not in tandem with the terms for their registration.
“Also, Section 17 of the Trade Dispute Act permits the Minister of Labour to approach the National Industrial Court. CAP 78, laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004, to refer the matter to the National Industrial Court for adjudication to enforce the legality or otherwise of the ongoing prolonged strike by ASUU and to interpret in entirety the provision of Section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act as it applies to cessation of strike once a trade dispute is apprehended by the Minister of Labour and Employment and conciliation is ongoing,” one of the sources said.
ASUU had maintained that the primary objective of its strike is to revamp the archaic public university curriculum, which has outlived its usefulness as it wouldn’t equip students with modern employability skills. On the other hand, the federal government has reaffirmed that it’s broke and cannot afford to meet the union’s demand.
With the duo standing their ground, public university education in Nigeria could be on the way to its longest industrial action in history. It is not clear if the said move by the government to proscribe ASUU is true. Even if it is, it may end in a long legal battle.
