CALLS
FOR DEMOCRATIC MANAGEMENT OF UNIVERSITIES
FOR
A JOINT ACTION OF EDUCATION WORKERS AND STUDENTS
PRESS STATEMENT
The Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) is holding a week long warning strike that started on
Wednesday, November 16, over the failure of the federal government to honour
its aspects of the FGN-ASUU 2009 agreement. This agreement contains a
commitment of government to upwardly fund education sector and pay outstanding
wages of the academic staff. The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) fully supports
the consistent struggle of ASUU for the implementation of this agreement. And
we hold that the failure of Buhari government to uphold the terms of this
agreement shows that there is no fundamental difference between Buhari and
previous regimes that have reneged on this agreement and further eroded an
already rotten education system.
Just as it was before the 2013 ASUU
strike, Nigerian universities are in derelict state, with inadequacy of basic
learning and teaching facilities. There are schools where students rely on
tree's shades to take lectures and illustrations in Chemistry textbooks to
carry out imaginary experiments. The decision of ASUU to embark on yet another
strike is in fact long overdue.
It took months of strike and
agitation before the Umaru Yar'adua government signed the agreement in 2009.
And the ERC had correctly predicted that it would require for more organised
and sustained struggle to get the terms of this agreement implemented. We are
aware that declaration of warning strike is one of the traditional steps that
ASUU employs before declaration of a full scale strike action. But it would
take more than staying off work to compel a duplicitous government such as Buhari
government to commit funds to the education sector and improvement in the
conditions of service of all education workers. ASUU must be prepared to
sensitise the public on the essence if her demands and its benefits for the
Nigerian masses. it is through such political action that ASUU can counter
potential blackmails and propaganda of the government and yet amassing public
support.
Before the 2013 strike was called
off, the Jonathan government was forced to release a sum of N200 billion to the
university system and then reneged on its promise of upwardly releasing funds
that would amount to 1.3 trillion within a period of four years. It is quite
unfortunate that the application of this funding was characterised by mass
scale misappropriation and fraud. And it confirms the correctness of our
position in the ERC that demands for proper funding and university autonomy are
not enough. ASUU must ensure that the demand for democratic management of
education institutions is placed on the front burner and pursued vigorously
like the other demands. In a democratically managed school, elected
representatives of both academic and nonacademic staff, students and parents
would be responsible for decision making on project implementation,
disbursement of funds etc. This would mean that the committee charged with the
management of school finances is constituted by people who report back and are
responsible to their unions; this equally requires that independent staff and
students' unionism is present on campuses.
For us in the ERC, we believe that
alongside the demand for implementation of the FGN-ASUU 2009 agreement, ASUU
must also champion the demand for independent unionism, which is a precursor to
democratic management of schools and transparent utilization of funds. Over 6
student unions are currently under proscription, with several student activists
suspended for their involvement in struggle of students; ASUU must seize this
ongoing struggle to intervene and form a bond of solidarity with the student
movement and other staff unions. As it stands, only a united struggle of
education workers and students can force the Buhari government to implement the
terms of the FGN-ASUU 2009 agreement and similar agreements with other staff
unions.
Hassan Taiwo Soweto Omole Ibukun
ERC National Coordinator ERC
National Secretary
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