Vol.6 No.3 8^{TH -15TH April, 2002}

EDITORIAL: Unimaid had the rare privilege of hosting the 12th National Delegates Conference of the Academic Staff Union of Universities between 5th and 6th April 2002. D’ Herald monitored the proceedings and thereafter had an exclusive interview with the cool but radical president, Dr.Oladipo Fashina of the department of Philosophy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife. A ‘crack team’ led by the Editor - in- chief, had a two-hour chat with him in his hotel room at Maiduguri International Hotel.

The Unimaid branch Chairman, Dr. Dada declined a separate interview. To him, the president has said it all. Excerpts of the interview. Happy reading.

FASHINA: This is not my first time of coming to Maiduguri. I have been coming since 1981. Maiduguri is less hot. I am conversant with some lecturers such as Bulama, Shehu Liberty, Alkali, Babagana and a few others now out of the university. There are a lot of infrastructural and social changes both in the metropolis and the university. The university is now a grown concern, more lecturers, more lecturers, more structures, etc.

FASHINA: The rumour is unfounded. If there is any need for ASUU to radicalize the branch, this can be done from outside. All we need to do is give directives to the local Chairman for him to execute. But Unimaid is a faithful branch to the national body, and Dr. Dada is a committed person to Asuu and its ideals.

FASHINA: There is a good working relationship. Zone D of NANS was present at this conference. The problem with NANS is that it has been penetrated by government, we now have NANS and government NANS.

FASHINA: ASUU has a single leadership. As a group of intellectuals there are at times differences of opinion. But there are internal mechanisms to resolve these mutually.

FASHINA: We had a lot of deliberations and a communiqué will be released at a press conference tomorrow (8th April)

FASHINA: I can’t say that. But any trade union that abandons strikes seizes to be a trade union. Strike is a weapon used to achieve a lot of objectives and we will use it where and when necessary.

FASHINA: Who told you? Obasanjo came out to say that ASUU is his sworn enemy. He came out to marshall God against ASUU.

FASHINA: We shall continue to fight privatization. Wealth of the nation should not just concentrate in the hands of a few. We shall struggle against IMF and World Bank, reject dictatorship, call for more parties and the return of Nigeria to a welfare state where people’s money is used to give them food, jobs qualitative education and end poverty. We call for more parties and no PDP democracy in 2003.

FASHINA: What do you expect? If not, I won’t be talking to you.

FASHINA: Somebody who stood by ASUU’s principles, struggled for rights of the underprivileged and unity and progress of the nation.

FASHINA: Thank you.

Vol.1No.3 10^{TH July, 2003.}

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which recently suspended its 6 months strike may once again down its tools if government renegades on its part of an earlier agreement. Intervention by the Senate leadership led to ASUU’s suspension of the strike on June 15th.

The senate committee spearheaded by Senator Jonathan Zwingina and backed by the new Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, asked for a 2-month grace period to dialogue with government and help resolve the impasse.

D’Herald’s duo of ‘Bisi Ayodeji and Isa Moh’d accosted Dr. Dada, Local Branch Chairman, Co-ordinator of the Bauchi zone and head of the crisis intervention committee of the powerful Academic Staff Union, to give ASUU’s position regarding the bone of contention between the Union and government, and clear the air on his ‘interest’ in the strike.

D’Herald’s position on the strike is that of caution. Strikes bring setback to our already embattled educational system. It also encourages the production of pseudo- professionals and quack managers from our glorified higher secondary schools dubbed tertiary institutions. Our graduates are only better than the nomadic farmers and organised market women because they have been into four walls of our ignorance- infested lecture halls and laboratories.

People who live in slums called hostels and makeshift accommodations use lanterns to study and attend lectures without bathing because of water scarcity, cannot be expected to compete with their counterparts in other countries where their governments invest in youths through education.

Our government appears to be indifferent to the plight of students and recently, the citizenry, when it, without due consideration, increased fuel price. If people who do not go to the university become our leaders (like they proudly say), how then can they make education a priority? Sadly enough, while the elephants are fighting, we the grasses are watching like morons. Wake up Nigerian students before our birthright is privatised!

" It will be a stupid thing to say Dada wants to go for Chairman. I’m not saying I am not competent. I am telling you if I say I want to contest, there will not be a single criterion that will disqualify me."

According to Dr. Dada, election to ASUU offices is not like the electioneering commonly seen around. Rather, the most competent person is lured into taking the post. He said, "Chairmen are even begged to take it up". He gave an example of the present chairman Dr. Dipo Fashina. "When his name was put up, no one even contested it, everybody knew he was the best person for the job".

Apparently, it is not only students who insinuated Dada’s presidential bid, even ASUU members did! Towards the end of the strike, members who had at several times tried to persuade him to call off the strike saw his refusal as his wanting to be in the Union’s good books to assist his ambition of leading the Union.

We have dealt with Obasanjo. If Obasanjo should just hear somebody say ASUU, he will go into a trance; I am telling you he will lose his mind. Even Stella, if she should say "ASUU", he will become crazy.

Dr. Dada says it was not. " If you look at past strikes, you will see that the results were not immediately seen. Apart from that, government agreed to almost all our demands (see below). The only thing that Obasanjo did not come out and say is I have granted ASUU this and that.

Government did not respond to the strike until after 6 weeks had elapsed. A dialogue team comprising of 60 people, 30 on either side was formed. After several days of rowdy deliberations, it became clear that there was breakdown of confidence between ASUU and government. A technical committee was then set up with three people from each side. The terms of reference of this committee were the ones before the implementation committee earlier constituted to effect the previous agreement.

WHAT ASUU ASKED FOR

ASUU asked for fulfilment of four of the terms of agreement before it can suspend the strike. It felt the many others could be resolved with time:

a. Implementation of the salary scale (USS) agreed upon with government

b. Re-instatement of the sacked Unilorin lecturers.

c. Assistance to state universities

d .Government’s refund of the shortfalls to universities(18.5 billion).

Government agreed with ASUU, but two items came with conditions

Item b.: government agreed to reabsorb the sacked lecturers but that they go to other universities apart from Unilorin

Item d.: government agreed to settle the shortfalls and increase allocation to universities over a four-year period. But while ASUU wants the highest allocation to be in the 1st year and gradually decrease over the four- year period, government insists on the converse of ASUU’s approach i.e. lowest to highest in a four year span.

On the 8th of May, the date was set for the submission of the Technical Committee Report, the minister of Labour decided to continue the negotiations. His excuse was he did not want to leave any unfinished business for his successor since he assumed he would be replaced in the new government.

The case was passed to the Industrial Arbitration Panel (I.A.P). ASUU did not like the idea because by law, whatever the I.A.P decides is subject to approval by the minister of labour, whom ASUU considers the ‘enemy’. ASUU however consented to the idea.

The first thing I.A.P said was the strike had to be suspended if it would be involved (i.e. end to hostilities). They gave five orders, two of which were of particular importance:

1.3rd order: that government shall not victimise any ASUU member

2. 5th order: that the two parties shall refer to the status quo before the dispute that is when everything was okay between ASUU and government. ASUU lawyers interpreted this period as that before June 30th 2001. The interpretation of the order was:

Government did not like this as well as the 3rd order, which ASUU interpreted as: government shall not sack, transfer or deny any ASUU member of his salary after the strike. Government decided to contest that order and forwarded it before the International Industrial Court for interpretation.

The interpretation is still being awaited for negotiations to continue.

AUGUST 15 STRIKE THREAT

During the strike, several organisations met with Obasanjo with the claim that they could end it all. Some claimed to be able to resolve it, others claimed to be able to break it. The latter were the ones Obasanjo gave a lot of money to. The more notable of the former are the Audu Ogbeh team (Agency for Prevention of Crime and Intelligence), the one that got closest was the Senate, comprising of the big wigs. ASUU made their demands clear; topmost of which was payment of the 6 months strike period salary. The Zwingina/Wabara team requested for 2 months to make efforts. ASUU sounded a warning that after August 15th, whatever happens, it should not be held responsible i.e. resumption of the strike.

"Definitely! Calling a strike because of lack of payment of their salary is the easiest thing I can do. Some ASUU members may not know about unionism, but when the object of dispute is their pocket, they will get very angry". This is what Dada says but the lecturers may be more concerned about future pay than past pay. A saying goes thus ‘one bird in the hand (past salaries) is better than two in the forest (future salaries). Experience also shows otherwise. J.D. Amin reopened the University and ASUU refused to call off, yet some came and taught. It seems the teachers learnt a big lesson! A hungry man, it is said, is an angry man. Obasanjo’s ‘no work no pay’ may be his undoing.

Unionism at the level of students and staff is appalling. Hence docility has been christened peace. Those who make genuine efforts are labelled agents of government, sycophants e.t.c. Dada’s case is a typical example. While the strike was on, many wanted to share in the dividends but not engage in the struggle. Most ASUU members and the passive nature of the students betrayed the more committed ASUU members and the vibrant NANS/SUG in the other parts of the country.

Government is gradually killing education. If UNESCO and our own "Vision 2010" recommended 26 % of our budget to education, why should we in this age reduce it to 1.8 %? Tony Blair of Britain made education his priority, likewise other developed nations. ASUU asked for N425 to solve Nigeria’s educational problem, government claims it had spent some money on universities between 2001 and 2003. Now, both parties agreed to spend N303 billion in 4 years, yet government claims it has other pressing issues particularly debt servicing (N445 billion). To who? Paris club, London Club, World Bank and IMF who dictate our priorities.

Obasanjo claims the community does not like the sacked lecturers, so they should go. Maybe Abacha jailed Obasanjo because he did not like him, so he is justified. ASUU claims it only wants justice, hence the call for re-instatement. Government claims the budget is N975 billion, others claim it is N1.6 trillion. Nigeria produces 2 million barrels f crude oil to be sold at $25 per barrel. A day’s profit solves ASUU/education sector problems, yet even in a 4-year period, government is reluctant to let go.

While people are competing for space on the moon, we are returning to the age of bush lamps. Our best brains are leaving, yet we take pride in bullying the few that remain and boast of our Machiavellian prowess.

ASUU calls for strike, next NLC, next the Police and next Nigerian students who would have been pushed to the Bush.