Government should concede to ASUU/SSANU/NASU demands now!

The Osun State Labour Party hereby condemns the unrepentant and highly irresponsible attitude of the federal and state governments to the demands of the university staff unions – Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Union of Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) which are sine qua non to the revival of public education in Nigeria. We also reject and call on all progressively-minded people to reject the obnoxious no-work, no-pay policy. The federal government has shown that it has no iota of dignity; otherwise it needs no ASUU, SSANU or NASU to compel it to fund education properly or pay education workers adequately.

The Osun Labour Party also condemns the treacherous positions of state governments for pitching their tents with the federal government. It again confirms our long-held position that Nigerian capitalist ruling class, no matter their political colouration are committed to the same policies of neo-liberalism, which has been the major ideology behind the under funding of education. The state governments are only protecting their selfish interests of avoiding proper funding of education and adequate remuneration of workers, and their inordinate support for federal government has nothing to do with the so-called federalism. It is a known fact that most of the state governments pay poor salaries for their workers (including education workers) while public education has been commercialized and privatized in most states. Therefore, you do not expect these people to side with education workers or workers generally, no matter the genuineness of their demands. The governors have only acted true to type.

It is a common truism that the Nigerian ruling class result to such terms as federalism, marginalization, etc when their class interests are affected. For the ten years of civil rule when over N6 trillion (an amount more than the total budgets of education in the past ten years) shared by politicians in power as official perks, none of the governors ever rejected the fraudulent salaries given to them in the name of federalism. However, when it comes to issues that affect the well being of poor people, politicians-in-power result to banal morality. Nigerians must reject fraudulent morality of politicians asking the striking workers to resume work without conceding to their demands. This is just postponing the evil days. As far as we are concerned, without answering the demands of ASUU, SSANU and NASU, the country is sitting on a keg of gunpowder which result will be far worse than Boko Haram or Niger Delta crisis, as more strikes and crises will engulf public education while more graduates will be unemployed. To us, Nigeria has adequate resources to provide free and globally competitive education at all levels without tears to the nation. The over one trillion naira wasted on just 17, 474 (less than 0.013 percent of the population) is enough to lift public education up. But Nigerian politicians are committed to the interests of the few rich in big business and corridors of power.

It is also important to set the record straight on the issue of federalism. It is a constitutional responsibility for the federal government to set policies for education sector, therefore the issue of federalism does not arise. We ask: what principles guide the setting up and activities of JAMB, NUC and even UBE agencies? Furthermore, the 1999 constitution compel government to provide free and functional education at all levels as and when practicable. What other time is this applicable than now when Nigeria is lagging behind in every facet of human capital development; when politicians could afford to earn tens of millions of naira. That state and federal governments have abandoned this constitutional provision is enough to chase them away. Moreover, the governing councils are represented in the negotiating team of the government. Therefore the excuse of federalism is as fraudulent as those canvassing it.

Furthermore, the government’s proposal that ASUU should negotiate with governing councils of various universities is like hiding under one finger. Is it the governing councils that will fund education by at least 26 percent of the budget has recommended by UNESCO and demanded by staff unions? Where will governing councils get monies to fund salary increase for university workers? Will each governing council determine the retirement age of workers separately without government’s direct responsibility? Government’s ploy is to break the resolve of the striking university staff and use governing councils as horse whip to punish workers for their patriotic stance. It is also an attempt to finally commercialize and privatize education. For instance, if governing councils are to determine conditions of service without government proper funding of education, school fees will have to be hiked, workers will have to be retrenched while vital services in the universities will be privatized. This will also lead to attack on democratic rights of workers and students as forces will be deplored to introduce these obnoxious policies.

Consequently, the Labour Party in Osun State call on students and youth, the labour movement through the central labour unions and well meaning people to mount pressure on the governments at all levels to concede to the demands of ASUU, SSANU and NASU as basis for end to the strikes. This is not the time for Nigerian students to stand on the fence in the name of being the grass among two elephants. Both workers and students are the grass being trampled upon by the government through under funding of education; they need to come together and bring government to its knees. If less than 0.013 percent of the population consume almost N3 trillion in two years while less than one-fifth of this is spent by all levels of governments on education where over 80 million youth and workers reside, it is clear that students and workers must know their real enemy. A genuinely minded student must know that even if lecturers are forced to resume, it will only postpone and aggravate the problems in the education sector, including industrial crisis.

We therefore call for immediate convocation of joint summit of all striking unions, students’ movements and organizations, other education workers’ unions like NUT and the central labour unions (NLC and TUC) and build a united front to resist government attempt to punish university workers for its irresponsibility. This is the time to build a national mass movement to compel the government commit public resources to public education and social services. The current action of the government also call for the working people to build an alternative party that can defend the interests of the poor and working people as current ruling parties are pro-rich, anti-poor and imperialistic. For us in the Labour Party, we shall continue to defend the collective interests of the working and poor people.

Signed:
Comrade Rufus Oyatoro - State Chariman
Mike Awodire - State Secretary