Prof. Tola Badejo of the Department of Zoology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and former Vice-Chancellor of Wesley University, Ondo State has expressed pessimism that the dark cloud was far from over concerning ASUU strike as being speculated at different quarters.
He made the statement while fielding some questions on the Channel TV’s Sunrise Daily programme. Prof. Badejo expressed worry that the Federal Government has continued to show high level of insincerity and lack of commitment towards resolving the strike.
Responding to the FGN’s position on no work, no pay, He maintained that there was no justification for stopping ASUU members’ salaries in the first place. According to him, teaching is just a fraction of what lecturers do.
As a matter of fact, teaching contribute little or nothing to the promotion and career growth of any academic, rather the quality of research and creative outputs. He stated that he was certain it is only teaching that is on hold at the moment, all lecturers still actively engage in their personal research works.
“I have been working. I have been doing research and interacting with colleagues online.” Therefore, “FGN’s recent action to reconsider their position on the no work, no pay principle is a face-saving device, and until I receive alert on my phone, I don’t think any lecturer would want to believe on a promissory note,” he stated.
When asked about his view on the recent meeting of the FGN and the Pro-Chancellors and the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and the sustainable peace-building committee.
Prof. Badejo berated the FGN for convening such a meeting in the first place and stated that the government should rather interact the lecturers who are on strike.
If ASUU goes on strike, Federal Government should negotiate with the union. FGN has constituted so many committees in the past, what was the outcome of those committees?
Reacting to the question of if he believed the FGN has money to meet ASUU’s demand. His response pointed to the fact that a sincere and responsible government will set its priorities right.
He pointed out that the government should know how to source and manage the available funds to attend to issues of public interest. “This government had the money to buy cars for another country, so what are we talking about?”
Recounting on the some of the challenges that ASUU is agitating and in response to the question of the around the potency of the universities’ governance system to forestall the strike in the first place.
Prof. Badejo stated that the universities’ governing council has no autonomy for decisions and as such, has no such powers to prevent the strike.
“Government controls everything including payment of salaries which was used to be paid by the various institutions. They forced everyone into the IPPIS platform even when lecturers didn’t fill any form for enrolment”.
So, the issue of autonomy has striped the governing councils of such powers to handle such issues that result in strike of this magnitude. He went further to recount how independently the universities operated in the 1960s until successive administrations gradually waned such autonomy.
“If you remember the ‘Ali must go’ era, the Obasanjo administration started it in 1999 and gradually succeeding administration consolidated on it.”
“When APC came in and saw that the PDP administration did not honour their agreement with ASUU, they started addressing them, we were very happy and all of a sudden, they turned around.”
Prof. Badejo pointed out the percent salary increment of 23.5% and 35% for academics at the lower cadre and the professorial cadre, respectively is a far cry from what ASUU is demanding.
“As long as a professor earns less than a Senator or any member of the National Assembly, it is not acceptable,” he affirmed.
He further noted that even if the FGN agrees to pay all the salary arrears, lecturers will only see it as the starting point of the negotiation.
According to him, “If they do that, we will only see it as the starting point and when we get there, we will know what to tell our members. But that doesn’t mean they have attended to our demands.”
Reacting to the question of the ASUU’s thought on the impact of the strike on students, he cleared the air by stressing that ASUU members are victims too. “I know of a family that the man and the wife are professors in the university and their children are in the university too as students.
The entire family are affected by the strike. 90% of the lecturers have their children in university and are victims. We are also victims and we can’t be held responsible for the action of irresponsible government. So, nobody should blame the lecturers for the plight of the students.”