ASUU Strike: Government Shifts ‘Back To Class’ Deadline

merlyn

12 years ago

Hahahahaahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahhahahahahahaha hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahaehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe.......I can't stop laughing... Who wrote this scripts? Hahahaahaha...c sense...make I see if it will work. Govt dey get sense o... Resume work dec 9 and we pay u ur full arrears. Hahaha...

PaulA+

12 years ago

Nice 1 dia FG any lectura wo fails 2 resume on Dec 9 wil nt b paid dia arias.

petjery

12 years ago

Those lecturers shud better accept dis ooh! FG also has crockroach in their cupboard! But ASUU shud backout 4 good

damietola

12 years ago

LMAo ,students we're in for it

I.K

12 years ago

ASUU Should Stop Holding Nigeria to Ransom

Minister of State for Education and Supervising Minister

for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, says the Federal

Government has done everything possible to please ASUU.

In the wake of the Federal Government’s ultimatum to

ASUU, Wike, a lawyer, spoke with Tobi Soniyi and Sunny

Aghaeze last Friday at his office in Abuja…

Nigerians are concerned about the strike embarked upon by

the Academic Staff Union of Universities. We are also aware

that a series of negotiations had taken place. At what stage are

we now in resolving this dispute?

You must have heard that yesterday we directed the Vice

Chancellors of federal universities to reopen for normal

academic and allied activities and to comply with the

directive of the Pro Chancellors who are like chairmen of the

governing councils, and in doing that they should make sure

that they create an enabling environment that will give support

to normal academic activities. And that they have from now

till December 4 to make sure that all universities are opened

for academic activities.

And also to make sure that those who come for lectures we

will do everything to support them and those who refuse to

come can be deemed to have abandoned their job and that

action should be taken against them. That is where we are

now.

What happens if they refuse to honour that invitation?

Assuming you don't go to work, what happens to someone

who does not go to work?

They have not been going to work all this while and nothing

has happened?

Nothing happened because we were discussing with them and

we believed that we should give them some time. We have

discussed with them, we have come to an agreement. In fact,

these discussions started at the level of Ministry of Education

down to the Secretary to the Federal Government with other

Ministers, including Minister of Finance and Coordinating

Minister of the Economy and also Minister of Labour,

meeting with them several times. In fact some state governors

had to intervene. Yet they were still saying no, yet we have

agreed on almost 80 per cent of the so-called agreement.

There are two contending issues: earned allowances and

revatilisation of infrastructure in the universities.

We took them further to the level of the Vice President. The

Vice President met with them two or three times. Then we

took them to the President, the highest level. On the 4th of

November, the President met with them. The Vice President

was there. Everybody, ASUU, even the late Professor Iyayi

was there. For 13 good hours. Mr. President insisted that we

must resolve all the issues that day. And the issues were all

resolved. And we then said go back to work. But they said

that Mr. President it is a normal convention of ASUS that

even though we have agreed, we must still go back to our

principal and then within one week we will get back to you.

Unfortunately within that one week, Professor Iyayi died. But

over three weeks after the meeting with the President we just

got a letter from ASUU where they are now telling us that

yes, we have discussed but that they would go back to work

only if we put down N200 billion which should be put in an

account they can see and that this should be done within two

weeks and two, that we should also include there that in 2014,

we should renegotiate and thirdly the Attorney-General of the

Federation should be the one to sign on behalf of government.

Were these issues the ones that were discussed with the

President? If a president of country had sat with you and had

given you his commitment – in fact, as I’m talking to you a

special account has been opened and we have agreed that a

committee of implementation be set up and ASUU will be

there. That the chairman will be the Minister of Education and

the non-Academic Staff will be there, Committee of Vice

Chancellors will be involved, Pro Chancellors will be in that

committee, to make for a successful implementation of these

funds and ensure that they are utilised for the purpose for

which they were earmarked.

For Christ’s sake, students have been home for five good

months and now you are giving fresh conditions, it is

unacceptable to anybody! Because we always have this belief

that nothing will happen, that we will not going back to the

classroom. But let me tell you, so many people want to go

back to the classrooms. Yes, there would be some setback but

that is a sacrifice we must make now. We cannot continue to

hold the entire country to ransom. It is not allowed. ASUU

does not love this country more than any other person. We

pleaded with ASUU, give us eight years and we will commit

this amount of money within these eight years. In that meeting

ASUU said no, they wanted six months. To tell you we

agreed on something, each of the years, N200 Billion and

N220 billion progressively like that which will come to over a

trillion naira within the agreed years. If we are able to commit

that much money in six years, we would have been able to

give the infrastructures a facelift. So what is the problem?

There is the fear that if we sack all of them, we would not

have the capacity to replace them, I mean recruiting a whole

generation of new lecturers will prove impossible.

It is also the same problem. If, if, if! Now the universities

have been closed for five months. This is not the first country

it would happen. It had happened in Ghana. Let us know the

number of those who want to teach. Let us know the

vacancies that exist. The point we are making is this, you can't

and should not be allowed to hold a society to ransom. Threat,

threat!

Have you asked yourself what is earned allowances? Earned

allowances to ASUU is: as supervisors, I mean when you

supervise a student's project, government should pay you. If

you are supervising a student's project, government will pay

you. So what are they paying you for as a lecturers? I have

not seen a situation like that! It is like you asking your office

to pay you for coming to interview me! What are we paying

you for if not to teach students and supervise their projects?

Nigerians don't understand all these things. What is this

earned allowance they are talking about? That you supervise a

Ph.D student and government should pay you. Meanwhile, the

university pays you. What is the work you are doing? Is

marking scripts not part of lecturing? So what is the problem?

Part of the problem is also that some of these issues are not

explained to the society.

It is not that the society does not get to know the correct

position, let us face reality, part of the problem we have is the

media. I did not know that ASUU is a newly registered

political party. Because from what they are doing now, they

have shown that they are a political party, an opposition party.

Nowhere in this world can you say that in negotiation, you

must get hundred percent of what you negotiated for. Mention

where it happens! Even the NLC and TUC, during the fuel

subsidies removal problem, did not get a hundred per cent

agreement. For several days, they came back and it was

explained to them that this action is crippling the economy

and we should not allow this to happen, you lose this we also

lose this. ASUU cannot say that, in as much as education is

important, we don't have other sectors that are of equal

importance. Take for instance, the health sector; this sector is

also begging for attention. In as much as we sympathise with

them, but we have started doing something. Mind you, this

decay was not because Jonathan came in, this decay has

always been there.

It is the President that said look, this is unacceptable, he said

we should set up a committee to go to the universities and let

us know the level of rot. The committee went and came back

and said the situation in the universities is embarrassing.

Because governors are not members of the Federal Executive

Council, the president said the report detailing the rot in the

universities should be presented at the National Economic

Council where governors are members so that they could also

see the decay not only in the Federal universities but also in

the state universities which is even the worst so that they

would know that universities should not be established

politically.

It was not ASUU's idea. It was government's idea, an idea by

the president himself.

Just like we have set up committees to go to polytechnics and

colleges of education to determine the state of these

institutions, to look at the level of decay and see what we can

do. Tomorrow now ASUU will come, Oh if you don't do this

we would not go to work. Meanwhile, it is the brain child of

the government that we must do something and that before we

do that we must know the level of decay. That is where we

are.

Let me take you away from ASUU. There is a report by a

panel set up by government to investigate the cause of the

violence that followed the 2011 general elections. The

committee suggested that the almajiri informal system of

learning be incorporated into the formal education sector. Do

you buy the idea?

That is in line with us establishing the almajiri schools. It is

not moving them away from the roads and allowing them to

have some form of Western education alone but to let them

have vocational training. It is not just to have basic education.

What happens if you have basic education and you do not

want to further? But if you have some forms of skills that

should be something for you to feed on if you don't want to

further your education. Government has agreed, and that is

why we have established almajiri schools. As I’m talking to

you, the Vice President has laid the symbolic commissioning

of over 120 of such schools that will be handed over to states

in the north. That it is not the responsibility of the Federal

Government for basic education. We are merely supporting

the state. Basic education is the responsibility of states and

local government.

What about the role of the parents in making sure that their

children get this basic education? What can the Federal

Government do in this regard?

You must understand the way Nigerian is structured. It is a

federal system where states are autonomous. In basic

education, the federal government has nothing to do except to

push. My experience in this regard is that poverty is a

problem. The parents have these children and give to a

Mallam who now takes children, allows them to go out every

day to beg and come back. And then indoctrinates them

through their own religious way. Government said no, this

must not be allowed to continue. One of the ways we can stop

this is to put these children in school and give them free

feeding. Don't allow them to go back to the alamajiri system.

One of the things, they want to eat. So if you put them in

school and you feed them that will act as a check. If you buy

them free books, free uniforms, which is what the government

is doing now - we are buying them free books and uniform

while the states will feed them free - and keep them in school.

That opportunity of roaming the streets and begging for arms

would no longer be there.

But how far can we go with this without the support of the

states? The way Nigeria is structured, it is a federal system.

The Constitution has given out powers and functions to all

tiers of government. And you know that education is under

the concurrent list. Basic education is exclusively for states.

What the federal government can do is to compliment states'

effort.

Indiscriminate establishment of private schools and

polytechnics is another worrisome development. Some operate

without accreditation. Some are in ramshackle buildings.

What is government doing about this?

I don't think so, that is not possible! We encourage private

institutions, but we have conditions which you must satisfy

before we allow you to run one. If we don't have private

universities today, with the number of Nigerians who want to

have access to tertiary education there would have been a

problem. Take for example, assuming we don't have private

universities now and look at the strike, what would have

happened? It is to create access. We have licensed not less

than 40 private universities in order to allow more people to

go to school. Every year, we have not less than 1.5 million

Nigerians who want to go to tertiary institutions. But the

carrying capacity of public institutions is not more than

600,000. So, we have about 900,000 left. What do you do?

But what about the standard? How do we ensure standards?

That is what I’m saying. Go to most of the private

universities. Go and see it. Have you been to Afe Babalola

University? Have you been to Covenant University? We are

closing down illegal universities. You see what ICPC and

NUC are doing. We are not saying that you will not find them

there. That is why it takes a lot of resources for monitoring

and checkmating these illegal universities. You and I know

that there is no way government can just give you license to

operate a university or a polytechnic; in fact establishing a

polytechnic is even more serious because it deals with

teaching of vocational skills and requires a lot of resources. It

takes time. But we encourage well meaning private

individuals who want to establish polytechnics but they must

fulfil the conditions. To establish a polytechnic is not an

ordinary thing, you have to get the equipment because it is

like a technical college, I mean a higher technical institution.

It is not a place where they tech theory. So it is not an

ordinary thing. Most of those ones you see are not recognised.

Those recognised must have met the standards.

Yes, many of them are not recognised but how do we make

sure that they don't exploit innocent students looking for

admission?

There is a list of approved schools. Just like when our

students leave here to go school overseas and go to attend

schools that are not recognised. When they come back here to

apply for NYSC, we say no, this certificate is not recognised.

We tell them they cannot go for NYSC. Before such students

go for service, they must send the names of their schools to us

for approval. Even if you read for up to Ph.D you must come

back home and do your NYSC. If you attend schools that are

not approved by government, we will say no. That is why

some people are having problems. If you want to go to school

overseas, you must ask which are the schools approved by the

Federal Government. Some go there just because they are

looking for admission and then go and apply to a school not

approved by government. Some even go there because they do

not meet the basic requirements to get admission here. After

finishing there, we tell them that they don't have the basic

requirements to enter university and therefore we will not

mobilise them for NYSC. In a day, we get hundred of

applications.

Let us digress, may I ask what is your relationship with the

Executive Governor of Rivers State?

My relationship with him is that he is the governor of Rivers

State. But he is not my party member. That is all. We don't

have the same political view. We are not in the same political

party. He is my governor for today.

Back to education, there is discrimination in the graduates of

universities and polytechnic. What is the Minister doing to

abolish this unwholesome practice?

That issue is being resolved at the Head of Service level. A

committee has also been set up to look into the issue. The

committee is headed by the permanent secretary. But I don't

want to let the cat out of the bag; we are working on it.

Again, in the strict sense, if we apply the rules strictly

polytechnics should not be allowed to run courses like mass

communications, secretarial studies, business administration,

accountancy because these are conventional courses that

should be taught at universities. Polytechnics should develop

manpower, technicians and engineers. Why should a

polytechnic be teaching business administration? They leave

the core areas of their mandate. They are to produce

manpower for the economy. Many of those courses run by

polytechnics should be taught in universities. They should

concentrate on practicals. Polytechnics created those courses

in order to make money. But a committee is going to work on

how best we should handle this issue.

Is it true that your governorship ambition is aggravating the

crisis in Rivers State?

Which means there was a crisis before? When I was Chief of

Staff there was crisis? Is it my governorship ambition that

makes you to say that you would leave for another party? Is it

my governorship ambition that the federal government stole

500 billion US Dollars? Is it my governorship ambition that

makes you to quarrel with your colleague governors when

there is no more governorship forum? People should face

reality. Is it what is happening in Rivers state that is affecting

the Nigerian Governors Forum? Is it what is happening in

Rivers state that they are saying that Jonathan should not run

for 2015? What does my ambition so called have to do with

all these?

Besides, don't I have a right to have an ambition? Has it

become a sin to have an ambition? Don't you have ambition to

go to heaven? It is one thing to have an ambition, you can

even have an ambition to say you want to be president of

Nigeria, it is not a sin. But does it mean you will be president

of Nigeria? The mere fact that you want to go to heaven does

not mean that you will make heaven. Why should that be the

problem?

The truth of the matter is that none of you know Amaechi. I

know him very well. We have not come to talk politics. When

it is time to talk politics we will tell the world who is who.

With all due respect, it is not by being member of opposition

and you using the media to say all sorts of things. At the

appropriate time we will talk with facts and figures. We will

tell Nigerians about those who are shouting corruption,

corruption. If you want to lead a revolution, your people must

be on ground. Your family should not be away. You don't

lead revolution by carrying police. If you want to confront

authorities do you use security? You will lead the people. But

when you have 200 Mopol with you, you can't say you are

leading a revolution. Go alone and let us see the people you

are leading. That is what they call revolution.

Fabiandapk

12 years ago

buhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha............... Still in Prof Fagge's Tongue. UNITED WE BARGAIN, DIVIDED WE BEG

Harruun

12 years ago

I know that FG is surely going to extend or change the Ultimatum issued on ASUU....To be sincere wit the whole public I think FG have just been Adamant all dis wile, Because the Agreement that they(FG) shud hav reached and implement to ASUU earlier the commencement of the strike, Is it the FG are just implementing now when they have come to realize that given a Threat to Fired all Assu member could only worsen the situation more and more.."it is always good to do the right thing at the right time" Anyway I pray for GOD Intervention & Resolution to the whole situation we Nigerian student are facing now.

Fabiandapk

12 years ago

ASUU STRIKE LATEST: The President of the Academic Staff Union of

Universities (ASUU), Dr Nasir Issa-Fagge on

Tuesday queried the Federal Government for not

formally communicating the opening of an account

credited with the sum of N200 billion in the

Central Bank to the union.



Noting that ASUU operates as a democratic

institution, Fagge revealed that the union

“requested that once that is done (bank account

opening) and the committee that is supposed to

disburse the funds start working, our members will

have no reason not to suspend the strike action”

insisting that the “most important part of this thing

at this point is that let there be documentation”.



He said the union is insisting on documentation

for the fear of not having to re-embark on another

action “for government not meeting the

requirement, particularly the promises Mr President

has made”.



“Why won’t government make available this money

so that we know the money is there and the

universities commence drawing from this money to

address the problem of decay in infrastructure,

teaching and research facilities? When that is done,

our members will suspend the strike” he

promised.



Speaking from the Abuja studios of Channels

Television during Sunrise Daily, he berated the fact

that other unions had to re-embark on the strike

actions due to the failure of the Federal

Government to keep to promises made to the

striking unions.



Debunking claims that the ASUU is not speaking

with one voice, Fagge maintained that “Our

members do not play a role in closing or opening

universities, if the university administration decides

to open a university, they can go ahead and do

that” noting that “it is their own responsibility”

insisting that “our members will not be there to

teach”.



Fagge expressed disappointment in the way a

previous memoranda signed by the Permanent

Secretary of the Ministry of Education and authored

by the Secretary to the Government of the

Federation was “disowned virtually by government”

explaining the reason behind the union’s request

that a person higher than the Permanent Secretary

of the Ministry of Education sign the recent

document, and not necessarily the Attorney-

General of the Federation.



The fiery-speaking Fagge revealed that members of

the union also have children in the closed

universities, while noting that many members of

the union are also students pursuing their Ph.d,

MSc, MA degrees.



He refuted the claim that the opposition had

infiltrated the ranks of the union and charged the

Federal Government to sort the issues on ground

and the union will suspend the strike.



Meanwhile, The Senior Special Assistant to President

Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin

Okupe, has stated that there is no reason for the

ongoing industrial action by Nigerian university

lecturers to continue.



He was guest on Channels Television flagship

breakfast programme, ‘Sunrise Daily’ to discuss

the issues.



Okupe said that from the Government’s

perspective, everything that needs to be done has

been done and whether the strike would be called

off or not now lies in the hands of the leadership of

ASUU.

Channels TV.

12 minutes ago

Hibee101

12 years ago

This one is normall I tink govt ave done better nao... So I xpct asuu to call off b4 dat 9th and lecture should begin immediatelly... Make u na dey pack ur bag nao... If d news is real ni oooo...

metaphysics

12 years ago

dem bleach dis pple brain wey no make dem fit reason wel dem wan say dem no first no say nah 4th b iyayi's burial mumu pple.infact i sure say Wike swallow frog nah him mk ham vomit spoil with dat empty threat!

Pariswicky

12 years ago

Na so dem go dey shift am till xmas lwkmd...yu all shuld beta prepare 2go bk 2 skul next year lol