PanNigerianNews 
By Adewuyi Adegbite
The role of academics in any nation’s development cannot be underestimated. Academics, the world over, are agents of development. They engage in researches for the basis of policy making in all vital sectors of a nation. They form the academic staff in universities, colleges, research institutes and the likes. The trained students in all fields of human endeavours – arts, sciences and technology, law, education, among others – are products of the academics.
Academics also form part of appointments into vital government agencies as heads of parastatals, research institutes, boards and so on. In addition, they serve as work force in any nation that can stand to any government, be it civilian or military.
These vital roles played by academics make them to be respected and, too, their opinions are respected by policy makers. Nigerian academics have not been found wanting in their vital roles as enumerated above. Not only that, they perform these perfectly well and have distinguished themselves globally. Even their role in ushering in democracy in Nigeria cannot be overlooked because they joined hands with pro-democracy groups which, in anyway, were formed by academics to chase military away.
With these vital roles, one expects the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to realise that the future of Nigeria lies in their hands and strive to see themselves in the light stated above and not as competitors with the politicians in the steeple chase of Nigeria’s patrimony. Incessant industrial actions by ASUU over sundry issues such as funding of the universities by Nigerian government whose budget for education is far below the recommendations of the UN for any nation that caters for its development. Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), among other grievances which include betrayal of trust on the part of government to honour agreement previously reached in 2009 have become counter-productive and having significant effects on our educational advancement, the development of our nation, universities, the future of students and well-being of parents.
Incessant closure of universities has forced many students to lose hope in education and turned to nefarious and anti social activities which include money rituals that is prevalent in our nation, cyber crime, kidnapping, robbery and so on to ‘live big’ in the society. Ladies among them are not excluded from the practice. In addition, they are put to family way unriped. The present agitation of ASUU over the EAA which the government has refused to pay, upon which ASUU declared warning strike after the expiration of which it declared indefinite strike forced me to write this piece to appeal to ASUU to consider the plight of parents and especially students whose future is in jeopardy. While there is nothing bad in agitating for payment of legitimate allowances for the teachers, ASUU should realise that the crop of politicians providence forced on Nigeria are not agents of development in the real sense of the word. Their training should have revealed to them that most of them are petite bourgeoise, agents of foreign capitals who would do everything to run the nation aground to please their masters in the metropolis. If they have their way, public universities would have been phased out to pave the way for private universities established to make university education unaffordable to majority of Nigerian children who are in public universities.
This is part of the reasons why they are not funding and equipping the ivory towers as espected and treating academics with disdain. In view of the fact mentioned above, ASUU has to restrategise in dealing with the government. Gone are the days, especially during the military, when ASUU and academics were respected because of the integrity, principle and stand of their leadership on issues. One could remember the time of Attairu Jega and Asisi Azobie in the early and late 90s; ASUU fought basically for proper funding of education and stood at the vanguard of good governance and return to democracy.
Academics hardly accepted appointment offer from the military. Appointments of vice chancellors were done internally by the universities with little interference by the military, and VCs were not card carrying members of ruling political parties, though it was during a military regime. Can we say the above about ASUU today? Prof Jide Osuntokun describes today’s agitations of ASUU as “bread and butter politics of salary increase and agitation for payment of Earned Academic Allowance.” The fact, regrettably, is that academics are no longer respected by politicians. Firstly, many academics worship at the feet of politicians for appointments into political offices.
Secondly, some academics are fond of revealing the secrets of their institutions to politicians to curry favour. Thirdly, during elections, academics are used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) selected for the purpose by ruling political parties as the situation may be, as returning officers, help politicians to rig or manipulate figures thereby truncating the wishes of the people. How can such academics be respected by politicians in government? Someone running with her and hunting with hounds will rarely be accorded any respect. My thought on ASUU-government conundrum is that ASUU, realising that politician in government are out for self aggradisement, is out to take their own share before the night falls.
ASUU is a critical force that can give politicians a run for their money. This is in tandem with the position of Osuntokun quoted above. With the way politicians are milking Nigeria, I don’t blame ASUU for its position. After all, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. However, ASUU members should remember that they were once students. Also, they were trained by some ASUU members in their universities days, if those people had closed the universities the way they are doing today, what would be their fortune today? In the days of Obaro Ikime, Attairu Jega and Azobie, parents and students supported ASUU agitation, but no longer today! Parents are fed up with their children rotting at home or society is paying the price of idle hands terrorising the land. Many believe that most of the ASUU members’ children are attending private Universities and that is why they don’t care to run university aground over bread and butter politics of salary increase and payment of EAA.
…Adegbite, a writer, historian and public affairs analyst, sends the piece through [email protected]
