Nelson.A.Osuala[2 December 2017]
It is no longer news that the Nigerian educational institution has gradually taken a downward trend. The incessant cases of Strike actions has continuously crippled the hope for quality literacy for the younger generations, those alleged to be the future leaders of tomorrow.
Last week Tuesday alone, The members of the
NON teaching staff unions in the universities(NASU) commenced what was supposed to be a warning strike in the seat of Academic Institution, to wit, University of Ibadan- placing road blocks and barring vehicles and other means of mobility from entry and exit from the Institution. Lecture rooms, Offices, Laboratories and Libraries were also under lock and key.
As if that wasn't enough, the same body (NASU) have now teamed up under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee, JAC, and directed all their branches nationwide to resume strike come Monday, December 4, 2017.
Laying credence to our source, the decision was taken by the trio of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associated Institutions, NASU and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT union respectively.
In the document dissipated to all branch Chairmen with the title, “Directives to immediately resume the suspended strike" signed by one Comrades Samson Chijioke Ugwoke, SSANU, Chris Ani, NASU and Sani Suleiman, NAAT.
The strike according to the unions was precipitated as a result of 'the inability of the Federal Government to clarify the criteria for the disbursement of the N23 billion released by the government to the university unions which SSANU, NASU and NAAT claimed was meant for the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU while only “pittance” was allocated to the three non teaching staff unions'.
An excerpt of the letter as published in Vanguard reads:
“Please recall our last correspondence to you in which we informed you of the letter written to the Honourable Minister of Education rejecting the allocation made by the office of the Permanent Secretary and signed by the PS himself.
“In the said letter, the Federal Government was given seven (7) days to explain the criteria for the said allocation and do the needful. The deadline has elapsed without any response from the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“In view of the above therefore, you are hereby directed to resume the suspended indefinite strike action as from 12 midnight, Sunday December 3, 2017. During this period, the strike shall be total and comprehensive.
“Further to this, all our branches are to convene a congress of Joint Action Committee by 8:00am on Monday December 4,2017, to commence the strike immediately.”
JAC had in a letter to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu on November 14, 2017, with the title, “Re:Forwarding of Verified Submission from Universities on Earned Allowance”, observed that the N23 billion government released recently before they suspended strike was for ASUU.
It said it had sighted a document dated October 24,2017, released from the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education and signed personally by the Permanent Secretary which was addressed to the Accountant General of the Federation where allocations to Federal Universities on Earned Allowances were contained.
The unions claimed that about N15.10 billion was allocated to ASUU, while about N7.929 billion was allocated to the non teaching staff unions comprising SSANU, NAAT and NASU.
“In view of the obviously skewed and disproportion-ate allocation, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NAAT, NASU and SSANU hereby sundry and roundly reject the said allocation and demands the criteria used to arrive at the allocations.
This decision reached by NASU and other bodies requires a prompt intervention, we call on the Federal Government to quickly intervene and arrest the impending doom that is about to once again cripple our educational system and adversely affect the education of our young people. Something must be done and that right early.
Nelson A.Osuala
Is a Blogger & the Associate Editor of Negroidhaven.org
