I have read so much about the ASUU charter of demands which has thrown the Nigeria University System into another round of destabilization. Let me clearly state from the onset that as a member of the union I no longer enjoy the strike weapon, nonetheless as a committed member, I will NOT violate the actions prescribed.
There are, however, merit in some of the arguments posted thus far. I agree totally that the strike weapon should be substituted. Also, there is a strong merit in the call for the leadership shake up in ASUU. The same set of people who have stared the wheel of the union when some of us were in elementary school (I have put in about twenty years on the job and I did not enter until I was almost thirty years old) are still very prominent. This to me implies lack of mentoring. That also explains the difficulty in devising new tactics.
Nonetheless, I hasten to fault some of the arguments. ASUU and most unions in Nigeria are up in arms against individuals in government who will prefer to ferry the commonwealth of the nation to other climes and get such resources wasted rather than make them useful for the development of needed infrastructure within. So, a bad action will naturally elicit a bad reaction.
Finally, I disagree with Moses Ochonu that the union is more concerned with its perks than the benefits of the students. Take away the earned allowances and you still have 1.3 Trillion being demanded for infrastructure upgrade. The questions are: for whose benefit is this being demanded?. Who administers it order than the Management to which strong union members are usually not part of?. Is the money meant to be shared by ASUU members?. Even the earned allowances, are they for ASUU members alone or the entire university system? Why does government want to hang ASUU to receive sympathetic reactions from the students and entire country?. We need to be fair on ASUU.
My final word is that the final consumers of academic products have suffered much. ASUU should drop its tough stance while expecting the government to also play its part. Union strategies are not usually the WIN ALL APPROACH. From my part of the country, it is often said that 'if you refuse to end a particular misunderstanding, when will the opportunity for another one avail itself'. Let us sheath our sword for this battle, there will always be other battles. ASUU must note, however, that tNigerians will expect a more intellectual based war next time.
Wole Atere, Ph D
Department of Sociology and Criminology,
Osun State University.
Okuku Campus.
Sent from my iPad
Sent from my iPad
Tunji,--Please go back and look at the so-called agreements and MOU. Bolaji has done this discussion a great deal of good by posting them earlier. They are broad, fantastical documents of general principles based on assessed needs. They are NOT (repeat, NOT) specific in any sense. They do not address any specific infrastructural needs that affect students and learning. Did you see the section regarding the 1.3 Trillion naira? That section and others demonstrate clearly that the ASUU negotiators did not really care about the funding issue. Why should they, when they don't think students deserve a fair shake as the primary consumers of the products of our higher institutions? The so-called agreement and MOU on funding read like afterthoughts that were haphazardly cobbled together after ASUU got the specific promises and concessions regarding allowances and perks that it wanted. When it comes to the allowances, there is remarkable specificity but when it comes to the funding that ASUU claims as the centerpiece of its struggle, there is shockingly little specificity and plenty of unbelievably bureaucratic nonsense about "agreeing to recommend," agreeing " to take up with the relevant authorities," etc.I believe in trade unions and I believe that unions have a right to negotiate better terms for their members. But I believe that unions also have a duty to make concessions and sacrifices for the continuity and improvement of the sector in which they operate, in which members earn their living. More importantly, I believe that a union should not lose sight of the human subjects (and consumers/victims) of its members' work, especially when the union wants to be seen not simply as a trade union but as a catalyst for reform.
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