By; AUWAL AHMED IBRAHIM (GORONYO)
The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) has been making promises and moves to resolve the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strikes for many years.
In 2013, NLC intervened in the ASUU strike by writing to the presidency to find a good modality to resolve the six months’ academic strike. In 2021, the Labour Union again, played its role between the government and the Academic Staff of Nigerian universities to table their grievances and resolve their misunderstandings for the sake of Nigerian universities’ students.
Since the Academic Staff of Universities embarked on another strike in February 2022, the Labour Union of Nigeria has been making moves to end the strike of the two parts but all efforts have proved abortive because the Federal Government is not willing to accept the demands of the academic staff.
Among its requests, ASUU wants Federal Government to use its own invented platform for payment of its staff. The University Transparency and Accountability Solutions (UTAS), is the main deadlock of the unending strike since ASUU wants the replacement of IPPIS payment system.
The rejection of the IPPIS payment platform by ASUU is for the reason, why other staff are not in it? The CBN, FIRS, NNPC, politicians at all levels are not into IPPIS. To ASUU, if government is truly in the fight of corruption, they should have integrated all politicians and all Nigerian staff to IPPIS and to lock corruption, since it is minimal with academic staff than politicians.
Also, as part of its demands, ASUU seeks improvement of the conditions of learning in Nigerian universities. To ASUU, without its struggles, the Nigerian universities will be exactly like the primary schools in the parts of Nigeria; with no materials of learning, without incentives of research for academic staff, without good teaching materials and good condition of learning.
ASUU has been lamenting the increasing number of Nigerians studying abroad due to the conditions of Nigerian tertiary institutions.
ASUU blamed Nigerian government for neglecting Nigerian institutions while the authorities in power send their children outside to study. In 2014, the children of President Muhammadu Buhari graduated from a London University. Also, the son of Kaduna state governor, Nasir el-Rufai graduated from London University and recently, the son of Rivers State Governor, graduated from London University when Nigerian universities remain shut for six months.
A finding has shown that Nigeria is the leading African country with high number of students abroad and on the part of ASUU, the problem should be shouldered on the government for not funding Nigerian tertiary schools very well.
At this time of unionism, not only for NLC, all academic staff of Nigerian schools should support this crusade, students in Nigeria and abroad should key into this, all Nigerian parents should indulge in the hope for better future of Nigerian education, and all workers and traders should participate in this as a chance to come to the aid of NIgeria’s progress, because it is clear to the common man in Nigeria that universities are his property because the children of his leaders patronize those abroad.
July 26 and 27 should be a day to support the progress of NIgeria’s education. This is an opportunity to raise voice for better Nigerian education and for the brighter future of our dear mother land.
Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim (Goronyo) is a lecturer with Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna and can be reached at auwalahmed@kadunapolytechnic.edu.ng
