We'll survive no-work-no-pay policy ASUU [An interview with UNILAG ASUU chairman]

The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities, University of Lagos chapter, Dr.
Oghenekaro Ogbinaka, speaks on the 14-week-old
strike by lecturers in public universities, in this
interview with CHARLES ABAH
Fourteen weeks into the strike, the end is still
not in sight. What is ASUU’s next line of action
considering the plight of students?
Even if the strike that started on July 1 has lasted all
the only one week, it would still have been very
damaging. In other climes, nobody would expect all
the public universities to be shut for over 100 days.
Yet we all are carrying on as if all is well.
Our policy makers’ perception of education is faulty.
The governments, across all levels of governance,
have a faulty philosophy of education. They think
that educating Nigerians is a gift. They believe that
proper funding of education is wasteful and a private
“family matter.” Hence, you may even hear those
who ought to be well-informed wanting to know why
government should be spending so much on
education. They want every public institution and
schools privatised.
They forget that even the colonial government gave
the mission schools grants in aid; thus recognising
the central role of government in the provision of
good and affordable schools.
The point being made is that the premise at which
the government is operating at the educational
platform is wrong. The government should set out to
satisfy the education system and not ASUU. Central
to the restoration of normalcy in our universities is
the question of funding and ASUU is saying what has
been offered so far, since the strike began, is just a
laughable amount that cannot be taken seriously.
The question is: would ASUU embark on strike
because of N130bn? No! Given the current
hardliner’s position of the FG, ASUU is simply saying
we cannot continue on the old template, so the strike
continues.
We also appreciate the fact that there are some
genuine interventions by well-meaning Nigerians to
bring both parties to the table for discussion.
Ultimately, both ASUU and the FG will meet to
discuss and move forward. We cannot lock up our
universities permanently and think both parties can
move about comfortably. This is not acceptable.
We understand that the FG has started the no-
work-no-pay policy. How far will this affect the
struggle? Do you foresee a situation where
your colleagues will be coerced into
submission by this policy?
The no-work-no-pay policy is a familiar measure. It
has never worked with ASUU. We have seen cases
where our colleagues were victimised and even
sacked as the administration of the University of
Ilorin did in the past. Our union could adopt the “No
pay, no work” policy too. Invariably, this current
strike will not be suspended until we are paid even
when all the contentious issues have been resolved.
Personally, I think we should operate from higher
moral grounds given the justified cause we are
pursuing. Really, it is a policy of the FG born out of its
inability to address minor human problems. The
policy cannot force our members back to work. We
were well convinced on our line of action. We were in
no illusion as to what actions or inactions the FG,
state and even some university administrations
would do. But once you have a well-mobilised union
membership that are trustful of their leaders and
believe in the cause they are championing, there will
be the will, way and courage to push. This policy is
familiar. It is an old route. We know how to navigate
it even with closed eyes.
The trust of the agitation borders on funding
and the FG says it does not have enough to
satisfy all your demands. What do you suggest
on how funds could be raised to run the
sector?
The minister of finance should be bothered about
capital flight by way of Nigerians studying abroad.
The country is losing much in terms of people going
to seek “good health.” We are losing in terms of huge
importation of rice and other products we have at our
back yard. Recall the oil theft cartel. Recall Nigerians
establishing universities in neighbouring African
countries. Where are such done in this world? Where
is the patriotism here? These people ironically are
also not only the friends of our government; a few of
them are in government. You withhold salaries of
lecturers, yet students are home and the system is
paralysed. Yet you are compelled to pay the non-
academic staff that are not on strike; a wage bill that
is even higher than what lecturers are paid. So
government is paying for a non-functional system so
long as the strike lasts. This is why we cannot but
appeal to the government to resolve all the matters
quickly and in a way we can guarantee lasting and
sustainable industrial harmony in our universities.
As one has argued elsewhere, the FG cannot really
sustain the argument of no funds for education. It is
all about government’s priority. ASUU has never left
the issue of funding entirely in the hands of
government. It is erroneous for anybody to think so.
There is a full chapter in the agreement that talks
about sources of funding as well as cost-saving
measures that the universities should adopt. For
example, TetFund is a product of ASUU’s agreement.
Again, the Nigerian Universities Pension Commission
is expected to carry out minimal interventions by
way of investing in our universities. There are other
aspects. For example, ASUU has put a case for the
government to patronise the universities in areas of
consultancy and research; and to encourage private
firms to do the same. This is not to say the
government should be encouraged to abandon its
driving role in education. The government must
make adequate budgetary provisions for education.
Education is the key to a nation’s development.
The Governor Gabriel Suswam-led committee
said it had commenced the disbursement of
N100bn to the universities. Why is ASUU not
comfortable with the gestures of the
committee?
Even if Governor Gabriel Suswam-led committee
meant well, he was most uninformed on the issues
involved. He thought it was all about award of
contracts for hostels, etc. He ignored what was on
ground and was carried away by a misplaced
messianic hype. If only he appreciated that, there
were the Needs Assessment Report
recommendations for each terms of reference that
were duly approved by the President. He ignored this
document and wanted to allocate funds to
universities and commence contract awards. This is
simplistic. It is born out of not appreciating the
issues involved. Now that the vice-chancellors are
involved and under the watch of the Vice-President
we are sure there will be better progress.
The uncomplimentary role of the Executive Secretary
of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius
Okojie, did not help the Suswam Committee. Okojie
has never been on the same page with ASUU as a
body. He gives the impression that the union is all
out to destroy, and is indeed destroying the system;
whereas ASUU believes that the system is already
destroyed and requires urgent resuscitation. If you
go with the ES of NUC, there will be problems. This
was what Suswam did.
NANS says it is no longer supporting ASUU in
the strike. Is this not an indication that the
union has lost one of its strong allies in this
struggle?
The tragedy of this nation is that we killed leadership
at the students’ level. The government penetrated
the students’ body and destroyed it. We are aware
that the President of NANS was rusticated about 10
years ago from the Ekiti State University. He
appeared at the Obafemi Awolowo University where
he got admitted for a diploma programme in Local
Government Studies in order to qualify him to seek
election as NANS President. Now we have a Diploma
Student representing NCE, OND, HND, Bachelors
students as their leader. The painful thing is that
most students, even at OAU, Ife, do not know the
President of NANS. It is doubtful if he has a regular
matriculation number, knows his course adviser and
fellow students. He runs NANS from the comfort of a
hotel in Abuja. Our prayer is that the strike will be
over, those parading themselves as NANS leaders
will be back to school, and journalists will be able to
locate them in their various hostels and classrooms if
they are genuine students. We know our students
and our students know us. These NANS people may
be students but not Nigerian undergraduates.
Again, people usually bring in students’ plight each
time ASUU is on strike. They keep quiet about the
students’ plight while they are in the schools that
lack basic learning facilities such as classrooms,
laboratories, good security and libraries. They see
nothing wrong with the plight of students who live in
cramped rooms, inhuman hostels, learning under
trees, etc. Outside strike action, these students are
victims of a bad and inhuman system. This explains
why our leaders send their wards abroad.
Fortunately, unlike in the past that ASUU was easily
blackmailed, especially with the “plight of the
students” argument, the students themselves are
the No 1 supporters of ASUU’s struggles today. They
appreciate the fact that they may not benefit from
the new hostels and facilities. However, they are
excited with the gains of the bigger picture. If the
condition of service of lecturers is enhanced,
qualified students will want to take up lecturing jobs.
We will also have foreigners in our faculties. All we
are trying to do is to ensure that our children do not
become victims of a terrible education system.
ASUU leadership is reportedly under security
watch now. As an official of the union, how
true is this? Have you had any encounter with
security agents since the strike started?
It is a normal thing for government security details to
be bothered about the on goings. A few may be
overzealous. We meet with them regularly. But the
interesting thing is that they are Nigerians. So, one
should leave it like that. Their family members are
affected by the bad education system. One should be
stupid to think that government will not consider the
security implications of the union’s action. The truth
is that education made people like Awolowo popular.
He built the then University of Ife and funded
education massively. The same can be said of
Nnamdi Azikwe and Ahmadu Bello. People loved
them for what they did. Theirs was affordable,
popular and mass education for all. This endeared
them to the people.
ASUU leadership, in the course of providing counter
arguments and rebuttals to the misinformation and
propaganda by government agents, is mindful of the
security implications of such reactions. We are
avoiding a very thin line. This explains why we shield
the students’ body from actively participating in the
struggle. We can only appeal to government to listen
and implement the agreement. Resorting to force
and intimidation are no solutions. They will only
exacerbate the bad situations. It is therefore strange
when we read stories that call for the disbanding of a
harmless trade union of intellectuals and
privatisation of publicly-owned universities as
solutions. At the end of the day both the government
and the university system will come out better and
stronger. ASUU will simply go back to the classroom,
satisfied that our universities have become globally
competitive.