FGN vs ASUU: a classless bout between confused entities

Sayo Aluko

121 days, or is it 130, okay, now I have lost count. Yes, like most concerned minds, I have lost count of the number of days that the nation's tertiary arm of education has been kept crippled by this now shamefully lingering bout between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal government of Nigeria (FGN).
To say the least from a critically thought-out angle, the whole jostle has been reduced to a mere war of sentiments from the coffers of these two entities that have both succeeded in confusing their priorities. Truth be told, this puerile battle has gone too far, too unnecessary, and too far-flung, that all I personally see now is more or less like unintended connivance by these two, to maim dear Nigeria's future.

When two parties have discrepancies, it is a generally accepted bitter-truth that the only potent and efficient tool to sort out such discrepancies is sane diplomacy, but, it is pitiable, it is tear-trickling, it is wail-worthy and very shameful that the FGN and ASUU in whom the hallowed sanctity of the nation's steady growth has been entrusted, have failed to use this sane diplomacy, and rather opted for a retrogressive approach. They have both failed woefully in seeing how quintessential stabilized education truly is in itself, and how stupid perennial industrial actions like this present one, do hamper all good intent(s) whatsoever, that they both claim to have.

Firstly, that the FGN allowed the whole issue get this miry, has once again, further proven their legendarily peerless incompetence. But, more surprisingly or perhaps, more absurdly, that the ASUU, a supposed and self-acclaimed "body of technocrats and intellectuals", (I've had to second-guess that claim in the recent turn of events) reduced itself to the level of a mere trade or labour union, and chose to use a blunt weapon of lengthy strikes to state their displeasure and to address the issue, while not considering the far weightier effects of such strike actions on the whole nation, proves how surprisingly blind, stubbornly bland and obstinately non-innovative the ASUU itself is. (at least, at the moment)

                                                   

The unsettling anarchy in the mind, the incomprehensible lethargy of spirit, the debasing apathy towards knowledge acquisition, the multiple jeopardy to the future, the brain-sickening idleness, the irreversible breach of soulful productivity, the costly halt to the development of human capital, the foundational and structural damage to the nation's growth and economy, and other likes, are the graver, weightier and most importantly, irreversible, effects of these perennial strike actions that continually plague the lives of the million number of youths in our 61 tertiary institutions (far weightier than the clichéd notion of students having to delve into criminal activities and prostitution). Had the ASUU considered the irreversibility of these effects, the option of another lengthy strike action wouldn't have been chosen over sane diplomacy.

I've had to peruse through the now infamous "2009 agreement" that serves as the bone of contention in all of these ASUU-FGN quagmire, and the acceptable truth is that most of the positions agreed therein are implementable, asides few ambiguities that can be taken care of by simple re-evaluation and oversight. The core intent of that agreement is clearly meant for good and thus, poised at preventing most or all the (weightier) effects listed above if implemented normally. But, while it is regrettable that the FGN would have to be reminded of its important responsibility towards education, I am just so sure, like most people would probably agree too, that the ASUU could definitely use better options to "remind" the FGN, rather than the constant application of strike actions that foment the same untoward effects the ASUU intends to prevent, and this glaringly depicts confusion on their part.

The ASUU has vowed, more or less, "boasted" that they are ready to keep on with the strike even as long like Ghana's "exemplary" two-year education hiatus, while describing the vow as a sacrifice they are ready to pay to bring Nigeria's education back on the right track. This ASUU's sacrifice-themed stance is good, but is clearly flawed while weighed on the scale of the theory of risk-versus-benefit. In this broadly applicable theory, it is known that while thinking about implementing any procedure or action whatsoever, the moment the risks/damages of implementing such procedure far outweigh the benefits, such procedure is dropped at the expense of seeking a wiser/less risky option. I believe a "body of technocrats and intellectuals" should know this, because, as said above, the risks/weightier effects of these strikes are sadly irreversible, and as such make them far outweigh the (true) benefits that the ASUU seek, and thus, still invalidates the notion of lengthy strike actions.

 

Furthermore, one other thing that worries the mind is that, not many people are asking the "University of Ilorin (UNILORIN)" question. As it were, UNILORIN, being one of the tertiary universities in Nigeria, are also supposed to partake in the ASUU strike(s), but, as we all know, they do not. Most of the universities across the country were about 3-4 weeks into their 2nd semesters when this present strike action kicked-off, and while the other students have had to languish at home since then, UNILORIN has not only finished that semester, but they've graduated the finalists therein and also had a convocation to celebrate them (just last-week). Few questions to ask now:

1.       Is UNILORIN graduating reprobates? Answer is No.

2.       Does UNILORIN need more funding from FGN too? Answer is Yes.

3.       Will UNILORIN benefit from the implementation of the 2009 agreement? Answer is Yes.

4.       But then, is UNILORIN on strike now? Answer is NO!

So, why must the lengthy strikes be the option (for other schools)? Why? Let's just stop begging the question abeg.

Whatever happened to innovation and sensible diplomacy!!!

Let's not get carried away though, because, as I stated in my last article, that, it only took a beast of leaders in the FGN to allow education standards get this bad, hence, forcing ASUU's hands to make these ischemic decisions of strikes. And so, while we put our noses to the grind in the hope of having sagacious leaders in government, all we beseech ASUU to do at this time is a thorough re-critical reconsideration of their approach to lifting Nigeria's education to a pride of place. They should sit back, retreat, reconvene, but not surrender. ASUU should come to a place where they'd acknowledge that 21st century education has even evolved away from just the teaching of the human brain, into a higher realm of the arming of the human mind, and so making sure that, while we are still stuck with standardizing the former, we shouldn't retrogress in that process by engaging in perennially lengthy strikes.

To the students already enrolled in the schools, time has gone; to the intending students, time is going and morale is waning, and to the ASUU, time is now to shake-off confusion within your reins and stop seemingly “conniving” with the FGN to worsen matters (your good shouldn't be staged as bad). To the FGN, time is now to cut to the chase and invest in the surest investment ever, education! (the money is available!). Also, I believe time is now for the FGN to draw up policies that will increase private sector investment into education by sheer obligation and/or adoption; for example, policies that will make telecommunication companies do better than what they do now. I personally don't know why MTN (s0rry I used a name, couldn't help it) will give #200,000 each to roughly 400-500 scholarship students yearly, and then give #40,000,000 - #60,000,000 or so, to a Limpopo or Skelewu "Masters" holder.

Finally, for some of us who are of the opinion that the year is already gone, that it is already Christmas and "New-year" period, that nothing else can be achieved again this year by both the ASUU and the FGN as touching the strike, for us as such, I say much can be done in the seven weeks, and I pray that Divinity will deliver us such, from pathologic laziness! Say "amen".