Why ASUU Strike Persists- Piwuna

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has attributed the recurring strike off the union to an ideological difference between the union and the government, with ASUU viewing education as a public good, while the government sees it as a capitalist venture.

Speaking on The Toyin Falola Interviews Series on Sunday, ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, stated that this fundamental difference in ideology has led to a stalemate in negotiations, adding that the government’s focus on profit has compromised academic standards.

He added that the people in government do not see the problem of education as an issue that affects them.

“So when ASUU declares a strike or when threatening a strike, the Minister of Finance will see it as a problem of the Minister of Education. The Minister of Science and Technology will see it as a problem of the Minister of Education. The Minister of Agriculture will see it as a problem that the Minister of Education has to address,” he said

Piwuna highlighted that the government’s failure to conduct regular visitations to universities, a requirement every four to six years, is a symptom of this ideological difference.

“By the rules, every four to six years, there should be a visitation to our universities. The government will not send a visitation team. Even to send visitation teams to go to the universities to audit what has happened in the universities has to become a matter of strike before government will send visitation to universities,” he said.

He also pointed to the proliferation of universities and the compromise of academic standards, citing examples of colleges of education being upgraded to universities without proper accreditation, and the interference of government officials in the appointment of vice-chancellors.

“Recently, several colleges of education have been upgraded to call universities of education. And we have heard and have seen how people are promoted without following the due processes for promotion,” he said.

Piwuna emphasised that ASUU is fighting for the future of Nigerian youth and the country’s development, stating that “Renegotiating this agreement is an investment in the future of this country. Renegotiating this agreement is to assure the youth of Nigeria that there is a future for them in tertiary education.”

He noted that ASUU is ever ready for dialogue and called on the government to engage in dialogue to avert another strike.

“We are ready for conversation. We have said this time and time again. In fact, the slogan in ASU is that if the devil himself can take the face of a human being, we are ready to discuss with him,” he said.

The ASUU president also praised the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for his commitment to education, saying that “The 2009 agreement was with the late president, President Yar’Adua. And from our leaders who were there in 2007, who started the struggle for the 2009 agreement, Yar’Adua appears to be one of the few Nigerian leaders that thought academics needed to be listened to in this country.

“Yar’Adua was able to do it because he had respect for intellectuals. In fact, Yar’Adua sought our leaders at the time to discuss this issue. And that is what we are trying to get this government to negotiate,” he said.