Nigeria Soars In Africa's Recurrent University Strikes

Nigerian students demonstrating against the continued closure of schools due to the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The march was held in Ado-Ekiti, state capital., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Nigeria soars in Africa’s recurrent varsity strikes

THURSDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2013 00:00 BY ENO-ABASI SUNDAY, EBELE OKONKWO (LAGOS) AND CHUKA ODITTAH (ABUJA)
Nigerian Guardian

INCESSANT downing of tools by Nigerian universities is bolstering the country’s ability to afford yet another infamous title. Nigeria, apart from gaining ascendency in the ranks of corrupt nations, also constitutes itself into a laughing stock for its inability to successfully manage its burgeoning tertiary education sector.

Expectedly, the country now prides itself albeit shamelessly, as primus inter pares among African countries, when it comes to nations that have frequently witnessed industrial actions called by lecturers in public universities. .

At the centre of these recurring strikes, evidences show, are the demand for higher wages, enhanced conditions of service, improved learning environment as well as sorting out of matters relating to “earned allowances” among others. .

Though not peculiar to Nigerian university teachers, strikes have, in the past strengthened the university teachers bargaining power, thereby helping them to claw better pay and attract improved conditions of service in many countries. This is especially common in climes where pay rise is not automatic in nature or based on higher responsibilities not previously envisaged. .

Whereas some African countries have experienced spasms of lecturer’s strike, which lasts anything from weeks to three months at the maximum, Nigeria and Kenya have, however, experienced prolonged university teachers’ strikes that stretch up to a whole year.

Strikes by their nature are highly disruptive especially in a learning environment. Sadly, they have become too frequent in the country. The latest round embarked upon by university lecturers in the country, under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on July 1, was described by the Nasir Fagge-led body as “comprehensive, total and indefinite.”

Among others, they are protesting the non-implementation of some issues contained in an agreement they entered into with the Federal Government in 2009.

According to President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Mr. Yinka Gbadebo, the country has lost a total of 30 months to industrial unrest by the university teachers in the last 10 years. .
Gbadebo, while speaking to newsmen last week in Lagos, lamented that students were always at the receiving end, losing precious time each time their teacher feud with their employers. He questioned the use of strikes as a weapon of seeking redress and attention.

He said NANS was no longer comfortable with the debilitating effects of protracted and incessant strikes the teachers were embarking on.

On the current impasse, he said, “We hereby disagree with ASUU on the notion that an immediate release of N400 billion per annum as being demanded will phase out the myriad of problems confronting our universities. This is not to celebrate the government, which in an unprecedented manner, had shown responsibility and concern by releasing N100 billion for infrastructural development in our universities including those that are state owned,” he said. .

While Nigerian university teachers find it convenient to drive home their demands via incessant industrial actions, many are of the opinion that the strategy has lost the respect of the students, their parents, some academics and members of the public.

Countries like next door neighbour, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Morocco, Burkina Faso among others, have each witnessed university lecturers strike within the last decade or thereabouts.

Apart from happening just twice or thrice, most were, however, never prolonged or recurrent. .

Safe for Morocco where lecturers called a strike thrice in an academic session over pay increase, strikes by university teachers in other African countries, especially the non-oil producing countries, are barely heard of.

However, since 1988 till date, ASUU’s insatiable appetite for strike actions (having called out its members severally), has taken the country to the zenith of African countries, whose public universities have witnessed the highest number of industrial actions by university teachers.

ASUU was formed in 1978, from what was then known as the Nigerian Association of University Teachers (NAUT), which itself came into existence in 1965. During its initial years, it served as an umbrella organisation for academic staff in the University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Ife and University of Lagos.

During the military regime, it played an active role in struggles against the military regime during the 1980s. It was therefore not surprising that it planned and hatched its first organised nationwide strike in 1988 over demand for fair wages and university autonomy.

This forced the regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), to proscribe the union on August 7, 1988, and confiscate its property. Two years later, the ban was lifted following series of appeals and negotiations by stakeholders.

Barely two years after it resumed in 1990, another strike was staged and the union, then led by Prof. Attahiru Jega, (the then vice chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, and now chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission), was again banned on August 23, 1992. However, an agreement was reached on September 3, 1992 that met several of the union’s demands including the right of workers to collective bargaining.

Three months into that strike, Prof. Babatunde Fafunwa, the then Education Minister led the Federal Government delegation to sign an agreement with ASUU for immediate suspension of the strike. Not all, but substantial amount of ASUU’s demands were met, culminating in the return of lecturers to the classrooms. .

In 1994 and 1996 respectively, ASUU also called out its members on nation-wide strikes during the era of the late Gen. Sani Abacha’s regime. In 2007, lecturers again downed tools for three months. In 2008, the shortest-ever national strike took place. It was for only one week because conditions requested were met substantially. But in 2009, yet the university lecturers called another strike. This time, it lasted for three months. In October 2009 ASUU and other staff unions signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the government and called off the industrial action. .

In 2011, Nigeria witnessed another national strike by the lecturers, who shut down university campuses. Within the period under review, local branches of ASUU, have downed tools immensely.

As the current strike action persists, academic activities in public universities have been grounded and a total of 78 universities, made up of 40 owned by the Federal Government and 38 belonging to the states remain shut. Consequently, only the 50 privately owned universities are in session.

According to ASUU, the agreement it reached with the Federal Government in 2009 was a product of three years of negotiations, (from 2006 to 2009), which government pledged its full support and funding. The union added that it waited from 2009 to 2012 for the former to fully implement that agreement, but was alarmed by the selective implementation, which saw only the salary component implemented while ignoring the funding part.

But government also recently said that it had released about N100b for infrastructural development in the universities in its bid to see the teachers return to the classrooms.

Expectedly, these recurring industrial actions appear to constitute a source of worry to not just members of the public, but also to the lecturers themselves.

Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, last week while speaking in Bayelsa State, during the Standing Committee Meeting of the Bishops Conference of the church, called for the disbandment of ASUU’s national body.

After describing the methods adopted by ASUU as “immoral and self-enrichment,” he stressed that, “The government should find a way either to privatise the universities or get ASUU to be limited to individual universities such that there would be no national ASUU body mandating even institutions without grievances to go on strike.

“There is no such body anywhere in the world. Challenges facing any institution should be treated locally without involving others,” said a miffed Okoh, who added that, “while the ASUU strike lasts, university lecturers are busy teaching in private universities (most of which lack lecturers) and earning money and when the strike is over, they will still be paid for the period of the strike. This is highly immoral and must be discouraged.”

The cleric, who urged government to accede to ASUU’s demand as a short-term measure, described the academic, moral and social implications of the strike as enormous.

According to a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Mr. Jude Agbo, “incessant strikes does not constitute the best way to achieve our demands nor the best approach to addressing problems that thwart the creation of a perfect academic system. But a situation where prevailing conditions call for it, we no doubt have to take it up to ensure that our demands are met or a dialogue is reached.”

Agbo advised “that the government should endeavor to keep to its promises and honour agreements entered into with the union,” saying if this happens, ASUU would never down tools for the fun of it, but was always constrained to go that way when government takes them for a ride by reneging on it words.

He advised government to, at all times, avoid issues or situations that would bring about discord between both parties so as to put a permanent stop to the unnecessary, impromptu national industrial actions.

Dr. Soji Oni of the Department of Sociology Education, University of Lagos, believes that strike remains the best way for lecturers to press home their demands, as that is the only language that the government understands.

Oni, however, said to put a permanent end to strikes by university teachers and improve the quality of education, government should increase funding for tertiary education because if the funding system were stable and reliable, students’ academic demands would be met.