ASUU: Manifest Assaults From Variants Of Anti-Intellectuals

 By Andrew A. Erakhrumen 

It may be discomfiting, but the truth, (our truth), must be told; that many Nigerians love quick fixes! This is a reason why they (we) have been going round in circles concerning their (our) challenges!

For instance, the tempo of stakeholders’ clamour, for Nigeria to find sustainable solutions to the underlying challenges causing industrial disharmony in the country’s public universities, subsided within two weeks after Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, suspended its strike on the October 14, 2022.

It was as if Nigerians, owing to the suspension, instantly forgot about the unresolved issues. Now, the people whose actions/inactions led to, and sustained, the painful eight-month strike in public universities are at it again – as usual! 

ASUU: Deconstructing A Government Of Anti-Intellectuals

 By Andrew A. Erakhrumen

Interestingly but regretfully, the current Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) – that is very good at disobeying court orders/judgements, just like, or even more than, its predecessors – has referred the trade dispute, (with negotiations ongoing), through its Ministry of Education with Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Abuja Judicial Division. 

*Buhari receiving a honorary degree

At NICN, on the 21st of September, 2022, FGN’s request for an interlocutory injunction restraining ASUU from continuing with its strike was granted by a Vacation Judge. Not unexpectedly, ASUU filed an appeal and a stay of execution of the restraining order on the 23rd of September, 2022. Our interest in these events stems from the belief in an African adage, loosely translated as: if a wicked person states his/her case, another wicked person should not be allowed to be an arbiter in such a dispute! 

ASUU: Dealing With A Blackmailing Government

 By Andrew A. Erakhrumen

As it stands today, except new reality emerges, the renegotiation of 2009 agreement between Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has been stalled by FGN. As a quick background: this agreement was originally due for renegotiation in 2012 but delayed, through FGN’s antics, till 2017 when Wale Babalakin-led FGN-empanelled renegotiation committee came on board to continue government’s antics through a ‘phantom’ renegotiation with ASUU’s team in order to waste everybody’s time.

This premeditated “wild goose chase”, on the part of Babalakin and his co-travellers, continued until he (Babalakin) was forced to resign as chairman of the Governing Council of University of Lagos on the 15th of September, 2020. As FGN was left in a lurch owing to this sudden resignation that nearly poked holes in their fakery, it has no choice other than to constitute Munzali Jibril-led renegotiation committee. This committee submitted a renegotiated draft agreement in May, 2021.