By Adekola Afolabi,
Victor Akinkuolie,
& Samuel Edu

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Some eminent scholars have advocated constitutional amendment and other measures as a way of finding lasting solution to the poor funding and protracted strikes in the nation’s tertiary education system.

The scholars described the ongoing strike as not only a lost battle for ASUU but for the nation, since the Federal Government has constantly failed to accede to the ASUU standpoint, which is improved funding of the university education in country.

Those who spoke with The Hope in separate interviews include; President of Council of Elders in Ekiti state, Prof Joseph Olatunde, Prof. Bayo Aborisade from the Federal University of Technology, FUTA, Dr Tunji Abayomi and Prof Busuyi Mekusi.

It will be recalled that ASUU has embarked on not less than 16 strikes in the last 23 years with little or no results over the non-implementation of Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, signed with the Federal Government in 2009.

The current strike has led universities students, especially in the south west part of the country  blocked roads to protest which crippled academic activities.

Dr Tunji Abayomi, former Chairman, Governing Council, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, AAUA, called for the decentralization of the nation’s university system as a way of ending strikes and funding challenges facing the institutions.

He opined that the ongoing strike is not only a lost battle for ASUU but also for the nation, since the Federal Government has constantly failed to accede to the ASUU standpoint.

“I believe the centralization of the university system contributes substantially to what we are witnessing now. For example, we don’t want to go on strike at Adekunle Ajasin University, but because ASUU takes care of the entire Academic Staff Union of all the universities, the state universities are forced to come under their authority.

“So, in my view there is a need for constitutional amendment to separate state educational processes from the Federal owned so that you don’t have to deal with ASUU strike all the time, particularly in state universities, and then the Federal Government can concentrate its energy on its own universities.

He said that he was disturbed with the prolonged and incessant strikes in the university system in the country.

Abayomi, however, called on both ASUU and the Federal Government to find a middle ground, while both should also change their approach to ensure amicable resolution of the issue.

The President, Ekiti Council of Elders, Professor Joseph Olatunde said, the agreement ASUU signed with the Federal Government twelve years ago was long overdue, and that there was need to renew the MOU)signed since 2009.

He advised lecturers to have second thought and adopt another system apart from the prolonged strike to press home their demands.

The octogenarian who lamented that Nigeria universities have been closed for about 147 days since the present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari came on board, said, the development has brought a major setback to the education sector.

In his own view, Prof Bayo Aborisade suggested that ASUU should take the Federal Government to the National Industrial Court, but feared that government might not obey the order of the court.

“The only alternative I can say ASUU has not explored is taking the Federal government to the National Industrial Court and this as well cannot be effective, the highest the court will do is to order the government to honour its agreement with ASUU and the question is if the government refused, what will the court do?

“The summary of it all is that, Nigerian government is ready to kill public schools in Nigeria and divert students to their own private schools.  For those that cannot afford the fees paid in private institutions, then such people should consider themselves unworthy of education.”

Aborisade said: “ASUU is guided by the principle of collective bargaining and that is why before the union embark on strike, there would have been several meetings with the government, and letters would have been sent to key government functionaries, after all these have failed and the government refused to give attention, we now embark on warning strike before going on an indefinite strike.”

Also speaking, formal ASUU chairman, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Prof Busuyi Mekusi said “ASUU is not a strike monger, but  the only problem is that we are dealing with a deaf government.

“As a matter of fact, there are so many options available to labour unions in pressing home their demands, some of which include; lobbying, writing letters, protests to mention just a few. It is after all these measures have failed, then the union will be left with no other alternative than to embark on strike.

“It may interest you to know that this ongoing strike was embarked upon after several negotiations and meetings have failed to yield any positive result. ASUU is a union made up of intellectuals, there have been several occasions where members of the union trooped to the street to protest and they were dispersed by men in uniform.

“So, whoever has any suggestion or better alternative for ASUU to press home their demands, such an individual should come with the alternatives and the union will be willing to give it a consideration.”