ASUU Strike 2022: The Avoidable Journey

 ASUU Strike 2022: The Avoidable Journey 

By

Abdulsalam I. Galadima, PhD
Department of Physics, ABU, Zaria
Monday 13th June, 2022

It is obvious that Nigerian public universities have, in the recent, witnessed a series of strike actions including, of course, the longest ever by, no doubt -the most resilient union in the nation-, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). As a recap of the most recent preceding episode, the longest total, comprehensive and indefinite strike of 2020 by ASUU was a follow-up of the previously suspended strikes of November 2017 and February 2019. Declared in March 2020, the strike lingered through December with the federal government showing little or no concern to the genuine and legitimate calls/demands of the striking lecturers as contained in the “2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement” and subsequent memoranda it (FG) willingly signed. As a matter of courtesy and according to its modus operandi, ASUU had, prior to the 2020 strike’s declaration, written severally to remind the government of the necessity of implementing the pending issues in the said agreement as promised in two separate (2017 and 2019) memoranda of action (MoA’s). The government, as is usually the practice in all its dealings with ASUU, deliberately turned deaf ears to these calls and, instead, embarked on a feeble and distractive campaign of calumny with a tactical view of setting the union up against the unsuspecting public. This can be understood from the instruction, via a circular from the office of the accountant general of the federation (OAGF), that all lecturers must enroll in that controversial salaries’ payment platform, i.e. the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS); a matter that was long buried due to its contradiction with the provisions of the Universities’ Autonomy Act (2007). 

The IPPIS issue was one among so many emotional blackmails by the government in order to pretentiously garner public support while in reality shying away from its own responsibilities. Yes! It was a blackmail, considering the circumstances surrounding its introduction amidst an ongoing renegotiation talk between ASUU and the then Prof. Babalakin-led FG’s team. While ASUU was stressing the need for proper address of such important issues as revitalization of public universities, establishment of the long-abandoned visitation panels to look into the affairs and or running of public universities, the decade long unsettled hard-earned allowances of academics, renegotiation of academics’ condition of service which was due since 2012, and upholding the universities’ autonomy act among others, FG on the other hand was busy campaigning that it had discovered gross financial misconducts in the universities. Fighting corruption is a welcome development and, in fact, a duty upon all Nigerians. ASUU has been in the forefront of the fight against corruption not only in the universities, but in all quotas of human endeavor, government inclusive. This is evident in the fact that majority of local/internal strike actions, by various branches of ASUU, were due to disputes resulting from the corruption tendencies of some university managements. Ironically, instead of the government to direct its fight to the appropriate channel (universities’ managers of funds), it mischievously embarked on a campaign that was directly back-stabbing the very principles of the rule of law it vowed to uphold. Yes! Mischief of the highest order as it (FG) refused to listen to the genuine reasons of academic peculiarities and the direct attack on an established act. 

It is pertinent to recall that the memorandum of action (MoA) signed by both parties in February 2019 contained certain important pending issues, emanating from the embattled 2009 agreement, which were outlined in clear terms and well documented timelines of implementation; slated for February 2019, November 2019 and April 2020 respectively. The first tranche (February 2019) was immediately implemented leading to suspension of the November 2018 strike. Barely a month to the second deadline of November 2019, FG deliberately brought in the issue of IPPIS and distorted the truce reached upon by the two parties which further frustrated the, then, process of renegotiating the 2009 agreement among other issues. The situation escalated further with either party maintaining a stern position. ASUU, on one hand, was reiterating its stand on the need for FG to honour the signed memorandum and consider the inaptness of IPPIS to academic peculiarities as well as its conflicting stance on the university autonomy, while government, on the other end, was deploying all instruments of propaganda to maneuver the gullible public into believing that the only issue of dispute was IPPIS. 

Consequent upon this, ASUU began a nationwide consultation of its various branches with the view of assessing the situation and a possible declaration of what was termed “mother of all strikes”. It was a rigorous exercise that involved physical interaction between a team of the national executive council (NEC) of the union and congresses of respective branches. The responses and resolutions of virtually all the branches were in support of industrial action against the lackadaisical attitude displayed by the federal government. It is worthy of reiterating that while ASUU was still consulting, the accountant general of the federation withheld the February 2020 salaries of all lecturers who had not enrolled in the IPPIS platform. ASUU on its own part and according to its tradition, declared a two weeks warning strike on Monday 9th of March, 2020 with hope that FG will reconsider its position and come to terms with the union’s clear and legitimate demands. The government, instead, proceeded with its campaign of blackmail which left ASUU with no any other option than to, upon expiration of the warning ultimatum, declare that 9 months total, comprehensive and indefinite strike on Monday 23rd of March, 2020. 

As usual as the case has been, several meetings between ASUU and FG’s team were held and after due consultations with local branches, and upon signing another memorandum of action, the strike was suspended on 3rd December 2020. The MoA contained, amongst other items, a signed commitment by FG to implement the pending terms of the 2009 agreement including the annual revitalization fund, immediately facilitate the ongoing renegotiation of academics’ condition of service, settling the lecturers’ withheld salaries and streamlining of the agreed earned academic allowances (EAA) of lecturers in the 2021 budget. Although certain amount of money was set aside by FG to cater for revitalization and, partly, the owed EAA (2009-2020), FG still remained adamant on the other important aspects of the MoA; like renegotiation. After a year-long series of gentle reminders, on the need to speed up the renegotiation process, ASUU began (in December 2021) another round of nation-wide consultations of its branches on the way forward. The matter, in the present situation, was addressed with double thoughts from various ASUU stakeholders. While others were of the view that strike should not be an option, majority view had it that the suspended total, comprehensive and indefinite strike of December 2020 should be resumed. Having put together the reports from across all its branches, NEC, in its sitting of February 12th – 13th 2021, declared a two-weeks warning (rolling) strike -effective Monday 14th February 2022-. 

Ideally, one would think that seeing the negative effects of the long ASUU strike of 2020, including the loss of a complete academic session by most or all Nigerian universities, FG will quickly come to terms with the union with the view of resolving the matter amicably. However, to the total dismay of both ASUU and the unsuspecting public, FG started some contemptible propaganda against ASUU and even ordered that their salaries be stopped. On its own side, and upon expiration of the two-weeks warning, ASUU rolled the strike over for additional eight weeks -effective Monday 1st March 2022. For any serious government whose citizens’ welfare, -especially important matter as that of education-, is of great priority, two months would have been enough for it to set the ball rolling in showing commitments towards resolving the matter. FG, however, began a fresh tactic of further delaying the whole renegotiation exercise by announcing that it had reconstituted its own team of representatives to begin an entirely new renegotiation of the already renegotiated terms of 2021, the report of which has been lying on its table awaiting consideration and possible implementation. Having observed this sheer insincerity in the whole dealings, ASUU announced its outright rejection of any fresh renegotiation and insisted that implementation of the said report was the right thing to do and not the repetition of an already concluded process. FG maintained its stand by inaugurating a new team while ASUU stood its grounds as well, despite the illegal salary stoppage, until the eight weeks roll-over elapsed. 

On Saturday 7th, through Sunday 8th of May, 2022, ASUU-NEC held a meeting at its national secretariat with the view of, amongst other issues, assessing the progress of the ongoing strike action. Of particular interest among the so many items of its agenda, the meeting observed with total dismay, the lackadaisical attitude of the FG towards addressing the contentious issues and the continued emotional blackmail. Without any hesitation, NEC rolled over the strike for additional twelve weeks (three months) to allow ample time for FG to do the needful. This extension generated a lot of heat because university students and the general public were made to believe, via propaganda, that the strike was at the verge of being suspended. Amidst this quagmire, the Commander in Chief directed his chief of staff, Prof. Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, along with three serving ministers and some heads of agencies to meet with ASUU representatives in order to address the pending issues and proffer lasting solution. Reports have it that the meeting took place as scheduled but without any positive results. According to reports, FG requested that ASUU should resume classrooms while negotiations continue of which ASUU outrightly declined due to what was perceived as FG’s “habitual deception”. As the strike extends into the next three months, FG should be ready to bear any blame in totality as it was appropriately reminded of the need to respect its own part of the deal by implementing the 2020 MoA as promised in order to “avoid” the strike. The wind of 2023 elections has blown and the attention of the “naive” citizens have been swayed from the strike as usual. Whether FG will bury its shame and address this avoidable but lingering dispute with all sincerity is what still remains doubtful. As for ASUU, the language is very clear; it is a no-going-back action this time around no matter the degree of propaganda and/or emotional blackmails by the FG and its agents of mischief. 

United we bargain but divided we beg! 

Aluta Continua!