ASUU and F.G: A Negative Impact on Nigeria Education

Education is a transformation tool in any given society and it should be held in high esteem. The future of Nigeria education has been relegated by various stakeholders (including, F.G and ASUU) in the sector. It is unfortunate that the government that is vested with the responsibility of ensuring sustainable development in all ramification through education claimed to have skiped some allowances of teachers in higher institutions of learning during the preparation of it fiscal budget for 2013. A contract or agreement that is duly signed by parties is deemed to be binding on the parties involved, but the Nigeria government that should uphold this has failed to implement such agreement which it entered into with ASUU in 2009, which in turn leads to a breach and violation of contract.

The Nigerian National Policy on Education specify the standard and goals of higher education in Nigeria, but the government has failed in meeting up to such standard in terms of infrastructural development, research development and facilities, also in building a total, functional and a self reliance education in the youths in order to avert crises and high rate of social menace and moral decadences.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on the other hand has failed to accept the fact that there exist social stratification of the "Haves" and Have Nots" in the society as the “Haves” i.e the rich does not want access to quality or eminence education by the “Have Nots” i.e the poor, thereby igniting incessant struggle between the two class and the universities staff also belong to the class of the "Have Not" i.e the lower class in which the common parent and students are included, (poor against poor).

The act of frequent declaration of strike action by ASUU is not at all time the solution for government to meet up their demands because the end product of the strike action often falls back on the lower class in the society i.e the "Have Nots" . The claim of ASUU is the government refusal to grant the lecturer's allowances and extra-payment on student's project supervision, examination supervision, workload allowances, etc... The question is that with all the salaries and municipal revenue generated by public universities, are they able to meet up to the minimum local standard talk much of international standard?. The rich men children are flown abroad to obtain a qualitative and valuable education. Some Nigerian professors are merely theoretical in nature and dispositions, however, lecturers believe in examination and regurgitation of knowledge from students, they also perpetuate all manners of academic corruption which is systemic. Some of the universities lecturer's performance can not be equated to their rewards or benefits as their job performance is relatively low in contrast to their economic return. They do no longer assume that the rewards of teachers are in heaven as so many of them strive for various kinds of political appointments in both state and federal level under the disguise of "ASUU". The poor man and students should not suffer for this. Education has become a game and teddy bear in the hands of F.G and ASUU. A bachelor degree programme that should last for four(4) years is now been elongated to five(5) years, thereby increasing the cost on education for both parent and individual student in a highly competitive and relatively low returns on investment on education society like Nigeria.

In conclusion, ASUU and F.G should recognize that the future of this country and the education of its citizens for overall development are premised on the formulations and implementation of positive educational and social policies. However, I hereby appeal to the conscience of ASUU and Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately speed up actions in resolving and implementing the October 2009 joint agreement between them to rescue the nation's educational system.

- AKINFOLARIN AKINWALE V.
(08137120446)