Self-Destruct Mode: When Public Interest Takes a Backseat in FG-ASUU Face-Off

I hereby reference two of my previous blog posts: http://uwomeze.blogspot.com/2013/08/strikes-in-health-and-other-sectors.html and http://uwomeze.blogspot.com/2013/07/strikes-in-healthsector-when-patient.html to indicate my general disposition to strikes in the public sector. The following may be of interest to researchers:

1. Do we know the number of students who have lost their lives or maimed due to the disruption of their stay in school?
2. We need to find out the opportunity cost of many students who will never return to the universities anymore because of a change in circumstance occasioned by being out of school for up to six months.
3. There is also urgent need to quantify the economic loss, physical and psycho-social burden parents and caregivers have borne for this period of time their children have been out of school.
4. Some academics may also be interested in determining the socio-economic and security impact on the society due to about six months of having a teeming population of jobless youth roam the streets in search of nothing.
5. Of course, it is imperative to forecast what all these anomalies portend for the future; some of the problems are just brewing at the moment to be served tomorrow.

All the issues we discuss here are all related to health.  The WHO definition of health is insightful: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. It is not difficult to connect the dots; there is some sickness around. We have to be concerned about the health (complete health) of those making decisions on our behalf.  We must also examine the health of their decisions, and we have to evaluate the impact of these decisions on the health of the public. In the current FG-ASUU face-off, and many other strikes in the public sector (ongoing and threatened), there appears to be a clear lack of health fitness certificate.

After a protracted strike action by university lecturers and equally protracted negotiations which eventually culminated into a final and prolonged parley with the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, the general public heaved a sigh of relief that the matter would eventually be resolved. However, optimism gave way to despair and finally, the federal government came out with a marching order to lecturers to resume work or be sacked as widely reported in the media

Government action appears hasty and thoughtless, and ASUU’s posture tactless and self centred. One would have expected that having gone to this stage, any other matters arising would have been carefully managed, not necessarily in the public domain. However, one is compelled to remark that ASUU has betrayed some undue militancy and extremism in the current struggle. There is no way on the face of the earth one gets every demand; negotiation or renegotiation is a give and take affair. Notwithstanding any previous disappointments and frustrations, some element of trust and hope must be part of the ingredient for any healthy meal of agreements. It is not always on a piece of paper which is only worth the will to keep to such undertaking. This is acknowledged even in international diplomacy. It was an apparent public disrespect to the office of the President of Nigeria for ASUU to assert on seeing him again to present their final conditions before calling off the strike. If the President of the country has to entertain every trade union on their “strong feeling”, as the leader of ASUU indicated in his letter to the President, then there will be no other job for the presidency in a calendar year because there are well over 365 trade unions and professional bodies in the country lining up to meet with the President on one burning issue after another. The letter of ASUU to the President was quite unfortunate as it could be interpreted as essentially ordering the President and Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces to carry out certain actions within a stipulated time.We may have any issues with any persons occupying such position but respect should be seen to be accorded that office. ASUU leadership appears tactless and self centred in this context. 

Furthermore, ASUU cannot continue to live in the past and fail to appreciate that the future is damaged if we do not get out of a burning house with whatever we can salvage. The call should not only be on education but on all the sectors of our national life. What use is a “perfect” educational system when there is insecurity, poor infrastructures and pervading corruption in the land? The result is, of course, continuous brain drain which is a double loss to the country. There is, therefore, urgent need to have a bigger picture in mind when looking at this struggle. A narrow obsession over some items will result into digging into deeper holes and troubles. ASUU has made its point but the body must also realize that it cannot love Nigeria more than the rest of Nigerians.  If you are fighting for public good, you have to galvanize the general public to make it their own fight.  Students, parents and guardians are hurting but ASUU leadership does not appear to take such situation into cognizance. It appears to be all about “our members” and "our interest".  Where exactly are we headed with this kind of posture? Do the rights of students and their parents matter in all this? Who compensates the students, their parents and the general public for injury and losses suffered so far?

The federal government response to ASUU’s latest conditions appears hasty and thoughtless. It is an anti-climax to the long path which brought some glimmer of hope after the meeting with the President. This “fire for fire” mentality that has engulfed the entire polity needs to be urgently reviewed. The sack threat is a devaluation of the efforts of the President of Nigeria at resolving this crisis. Government needed to have taken a measured response in the current situation and by so doing ignite more confidence in Nigerians and in ASUU to the delicate issue that agreement reached with the State will be honoured. It is rather unfortunate that the level of confidence has so much degenerated to the extent that even a meeting and an agreement with the President of a country will require further revalidation. This only results into some vicious cycle of distrust upon distrust. Let us, for once, consider the public interest. We are losing the plot.

Meanwhile, moderate lecturers may need to find an alternative platform in dealing with the challenges of education and interrelated sectors in Nigeria. ASUU brand has suffered considerable damage and the mere mention of “ASUU” conjures up images of closed university gates and strikes fear in the hearts of students and parents. We cannot afford to continue on this self destruct path. The federal government and ASUU must realize we cannot place mere monetary value on people and on our future. It is not all about money and budgetary provisions. It is equally about people; about commitment to making a positive change as individuals; about sacrifice; about inspiring others to greater good; and about our shared humanity in preserving the sanctity of our existence. We must pull back and save whatever could still be salvaged. The damage on the students, parents, the public and the future is enormous. Does the current FG-ASUU face-off care about this?