Amidst the eight months of the strike by the Academic Staff union of Universities (ASUU) that kept Nigerian students at home while it lasted, the federal government approved two unions for academics in the university system. Will this address the incessant strikes in the universities; TOPE SUNDAY asks?
For months, some public universities were locked down due to the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and the development subjected students and their parents to an untold hardships.
The two unions, the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) and the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), were registered to apparently break the ranks of lecturers who were on strike for upwards of eight months.
Why new unions?
The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, who spoke while presenting the certificates of registration to the two unions, explained that the two bodies would exist alongside the ASUU. The minister, who approved the existence of the two unions, said in Abuja that CONUA’s registration became necessary because they do not believe in the strikes by ASUU, arguing that CONUA has been seeking registration since 2018.
Ngige disclosed that the Ministry of Labour and Employment set up a committee to look into the merit of CONUA’s application and has now approved the application having passed the basic minimum requirements. But ASUU insisted that the registration of two new trade unions by the government for academic staff in the university system was inconsequential and “does not pose any threat” to its existence.
The national president of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, in his reaction, said: “That does not in any way affect us. We are a disciplined and focused union, and we know what we are doing and what we are after. Let them register as many unions as they like. That is inconsequential as far as we are concerned. We are not also in any way threatened. The sky is big enough for birds to fly.
“We know our members, we know our strength, and we also know what our vision and mission are. Our members are not saboteurs or footlockers. Our struggle is for a better educational system in the country. If the system is good, all of us will benefit, and it is not only ASUU members’ children and wards that are going to benefit from improved funding and the provision of better facilities in our institutions.”
Checking ASUU’s dominance?
Some Nigerians see the new unions as a way to create chaos, and to divide the lecturers, arguing that their existence may not resolve, or abate the frequent strikes by the university lecturers.
A Facebook user, Kalu imagha, alleged that the leaders are not concerned with the country’s education because all their children are studying abroad.
He said, “Hmmmmmmmmm…… the leaders we have now cannot say any good concerning our country or education because all their children are studying abroad.
Another user, Alhaji Modu Lawan, also claimed that the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, deliberately registered the two unions to divide the university lecturers.
“Ngige did this deliberately to create confusion, chaos, and split the lecturers. This is not how it is supposed to be handled or settled. Ngige and his counterpart, the education minister, Malam Adamu Adamu, are the worst ministers we’ve ever seen in the history of this country and posterity will judge them harshly, and the same time ASUU too, has their flaws, they insist that they must get all their demands, how could be it possible?? They must shift ground, overlook some of their demands and consider the plight of the poor students.”
On his part, Fahad Ibrahim Danladi, who condemned what he called the divide and rule tactics employed by the government, faulted ASUU for embarking on incessant strikes.
“While condemning divide and rule tactics by the federal government, I will not exonerate ASUU from blame. For goodness’s sake, you can’t be embarking on strike frequently and expect politicians to dine with you. The industrial action is so frequent that ASUU is synonymous to strike,” he said.
But Wale Omolegbon Olusola on his part, said:”This new union members should have asked the minister before accepting to form the union if the children of the minister are attending any Nigerian university. If he says No, they should then ask him why he didn’t put his children in our university. I guess he will say that, our universities do not have good educational facilities.
“They should then ask him why his govt refused to provide facilities. If he says, it is because there is no money. They should ask him where they are getting the money they are spending for election campaigns? Honestly, these people are really taking us for granted. Anyway, I don’t blame them, I only blame unreasonable ones among us, who continue to campaign for them and vote for them.”
But a political economist, Mr. Aloba Omoferimi, who spoke with Blueprint Weekend, queried the acceptability and wider reach of the two unions, arguing that existence of three unions for the university lecturers may be disastrous.
He said: “According to the Trade Union Act, two or more trade unions cannot be registered in the same sector, so the registration of Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), a breakaway union from ASUU, should not be approved by the government because this will give room for other breakaway trade unions to seek registration from the federal government.
“The ripple effects of this action might be disastrous in the future. For me, the registration is only a distraction. The question is how many lecturers are members of CONUA? Are they widespread, and how will the union deal with a government that has perpetually refused to honour agreements? I can’t say if the strike is justifiable because the students are the opportunity cost currently, but I can categorically tell you that hostels and classrooms in our public universities are like a refugee camp.”
Also speaking, a media consultant, Mr. Dennis Matthew, told this medium that the federal government was evasive in its responsibility by registering the two unions.
“I think the federal government is shying away from it core responsibilities of full funding of the university system by registering two other unions to break ASUU’s wings. The situation will remain the same because some members of these new unions are still members of ASUU. I’ll suggest that if the federal government can’t effectively fund the public institutions it should allow them to fly by funding themselves because efficient education system remains the lasting resort to the national development,” he said.