IT is certain that very little education would be going on in the universities for some time to come. Whenever the strike is off, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, would return to conduct examinations on things its members did not teach, or which the students have forgotten.
Nobody really bothers about these things. In the past 20 years, education at that level has been more an issue of completing the years and not necessarily the curriculum. In many universities abroad, graduates from Nigerian schools (except the private ones that run without interruptions) are subjected to series of degrading tests to determine their suitability for the grades that they parade.
N.B Visit www.campusflava.com for updates and information related to other schools.
ASUU has tried various ways to impress it on Nigerians that their wages are miserable. They have finally decided to compare their wages with local government councillors, the lowest rung in the cadre of elected political officers. A councilor reportedly earns N1.29 million monthly, for the professor it is N321, 000. A senator earns N3 million monthly to a vice chancellor’s N1.8 million.
Even ASUU would admit that this line of argument would not get it very far. We agree that the government should pay ASUU its dues. Politicians who have wriggled themselves into power award themselves pays they believe reflect their enterprise. Lecturing is almost risk free, if we discount the occasional activities of cultists. The wages could also be government’s statement on the unimportance of education.
The Federal Government after walking out on the negotiations at the final stages has resorted to familiar subterfuge, including the ridiculous claim that it should not negotiate pay of universities, some of which belong to States.
Nigerians saw the same rigmarole with the primary school teachers last year. It took some nudging for government to grudgingly obey the Constitution. Labour is under the exclusive legislative list of the 1999 Constitution, meaning only the Federal Government can make laws on it.
Second Schedule, Legislative Powers, Part I, Item 34 states, “Labour, including trade unions, industrial relations; conditions, safety and welfare of labour; industrial disputes, prescribing a national minimum wage for the Federation or any part thereof, and industrial arbitrations”, are under the imprimatur of the Federal Government.
Where does the Constitution give the authorities of the various universities the right to negotiate wages? Can States prescribe wages when the Federal Government has to set “a national minimum wage for the Federation or any part thereof”? Has the Federal Government amended the Constitution to award other authorities powers to prescribe wages?
The important thing about this strike is that it has to end. The compromised standards of education are doing lots of damage to this society which government, if it cares about the people should tackle rather than resorting to lies, including ones that flagrantly fly in the face of constitutional provisions.
It is unlikely the young people whose future this strike suspends would be interested in who earns what and who has powers to do nothing.
campusflava
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
REDEEMERS UNIVERSITY
About RUN
We have a vision for a better nation; a Nigeria of frank and candid academicians, dependable and honest artisans, God fearing and faithful pastors, decent and law-abiding citizens, trusworthy and upright youths, caring and compassionate doctors, honourable and truthful politicians, open and sincere business community, courageous and reliable public servants.
We have a vision for a country where judges are just and impartial, soldiers, policemen and women are compassionate and considerate, traditional rulers embody distinction, dignity and decorum, bankers are honest and honourable.
N.B Visit www.campusflava.com for updates and information related to other schools.
We have a vision for a future generation of creative, innovative and inventive enterpreneurs. We want to mould a generation of kind, thoughtful and gentle adolescents, who are motivated to build and sustain a better Nigeria where peace, justice fairness and Godliness reign. We are looking forward with optimism and intense anticipation for a Nigeria we can all defend, protect and be proud of. We have a desire and an aspiration for a nation whose trust is in the Lord God Almighty. This is our vision at the Redeemer's University (RUN), where we want to build the future of Nigeria, today.
Because you embody this vision, we are honoured and privileged to have you with us as our core partners, as we RUN with the vision for a better Nation.
We have a vision for a better nation; a Nigeria of frank and candid academicians, dependable and honest artisans, God fearing and faithful pastors, decent and law-abiding citizens, trusworthy and upright youths, caring and compassionate doctors, honourable and truthful politicians, open and sincere business community, courageous and reliable public servants.
We have a vision for a country where judges are just and impartial, soldiers, policemen and women are compassionate and considerate, traditional rulers embody distinction, dignity and decorum, bankers are honest and honourable.
N.B Visit www.campusflava.com for updates and information related to other schools.
We have a vision for a future generation of creative, innovative and inventive enterpreneurs. We want to mould a generation of kind, thoughtful and gentle adolescents, who are motivated to build and sustain a better Nigeria where peace, justice fairness and Godliness reign. We are looking forward with optimism and intense anticipation for a Nigeria we can all defend, protect and be proud of. We have a desire and an aspiration for a nation whose trust is in the Lord God Almighty. This is our vision at the Redeemer's University (RUN), where we want to build the future of Nigeria, today.
Because you embody this vision, we are honoured and privileged to have you with us as our core partners, as we RUN with the vision for a better Nation.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
ASUU LATEST-FG told to re-open talks with ASUU
The Federal Government has been told to immediately re-open negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). According to the Action Congress (AC), this is necessary to end the strike that has paralysed academic activities in public universities for over two months.
N.B Visit www.campusflava.com for updates and information related to other schools.
“Calling off negotiations with ASUU is a wrong step. Whatever the provocation, if at all there is any, by the union, the federal government must go the extra mile to keep negotiations going so as to end the strike,’’ AC said in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
The party described as sheer insincerity on the part of government its preference for decentralised negotiations between the various chapters of ASUU and their governing councils, because the councils do not have the power or the mandate to make any binding commitments on behalf of the government. In any case, even the commitments entered to by the government itself have not been respected!
It said since the issues that precipitated the strike touch on the very future of Nigeria - which is what the education of our children is all about - the FG must be willing to bend over backwards to meet the demands of ASUU, which are very reasonable.
“This is not just about the emoluments of the lecturers, which of course are very important, but also about the state of our public universities, the decaying infrastructure, the empty libraries and laboratories, the dwindling research work and the autonomy of the institutions, just to mention a few.
“Whatever we may be dreaming of achieving as a nation in 2020 or beyond, such dreams will not come to fruition if we continue to pay scant or no attention to the education of those we like to refer to as the leaders of tomorrow. With the way our public universities are today, it is doubtful if they can produce those that will propel the nation to the top of the ladder,’’ AC said.
The party said no efforts should be spared to put university teachers in a good stead to carry out their academic duties effectively, noting that the responsibility with which the teachers are saddled - moulding tomorrow’s leaders - are too critical to be toyed with.
“It is sad that a country where those saddled with less onerous responsibilities are disproportionately rewarded, teachers are left to hold the short end of the stick. Equally sad is the fact that many students are made to rely on handouts because libraries are empty and books are beyond the reach of many. Little wonder then that many of our graduates are simply unemployable, their degrees totally worthless.
“No responsible government will allow this anomaly to go on for a day longer. Nothing can justify the fact that the affected universities have almost lost a whole semester. Enough is enough,’’ AC said.
It said part of the reasons the strike has been allowed to go on is that many of the nation’s public officials have their children in schools outside the country, or at worst in private universities in the country, hence do not give a hoot if the schools are shut down for a year or more.
“If the children of these same people who are eager to cut off negotiations with ASUU for whatever reasons are in the affected public universities, the strike would have been over by now,’’ AC said
N.B Visit www.campusflava.com for updates and information related to other schools.
“Calling off negotiations with ASUU is a wrong step. Whatever the provocation, if at all there is any, by the union, the federal government must go the extra mile to keep negotiations going so as to end the strike,’’ AC said in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
The party described as sheer insincerity on the part of government its preference for decentralised negotiations between the various chapters of ASUU and their governing councils, because the councils do not have the power or the mandate to make any binding commitments on behalf of the government. In any case, even the commitments entered to by the government itself have not been respected!
It said since the issues that precipitated the strike touch on the very future of Nigeria - which is what the education of our children is all about - the FG must be willing to bend over backwards to meet the demands of ASUU, which are very reasonable.
“This is not just about the emoluments of the lecturers, which of course are very important, but also about the state of our public universities, the decaying infrastructure, the empty libraries and laboratories, the dwindling research work and the autonomy of the institutions, just to mention a few.
“Whatever we may be dreaming of achieving as a nation in 2020 or beyond, such dreams will not come to fruition if we continue to pay scant or no attention to the education of those we like to refer to as the leaders of tomorrow. With the way our public universities are today, it is doubtful if they can produce those that will propel the nation to the top of the ladder,’’ AC said.
The party said no efforts should be spared to put university teachers in a good stead to carry out their academic duties effectively, noting that the responsibility with which the teachers are saddled - moulding tomorrow’s leaders - are too critical to be toyed with.
“It is sad that a country where those saddled with less onerous responsibilities are disproportionately rewarded, teachers are left to hold the short end of the stick. Equally sad is the fact that many students are made to rely on handouts because libraries are empty and books are beyond the reach of many. Little wonder then that many of our graduates are simply unemployable, their degrees totally worthless.
“No responsible government will allow this anomaly to go on for a day longer. Nothing can justify the fact that the affected universities have almost lost a whole semester. Enough is enough,’’ AC said.
It said part of the reasons the strike has been allowed to go on is that many of the nation’s public officials have their children in schools outside the country, or at worst in private universities in the country, hence do not give a hoot if the schools are shut down for a year or more.
“If the children of these same people who are eager to cut off negotiations with ASUU for whatever reasons are in the affected public universities, the strike would have been over by now,’’ AC said
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