Lecturers of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife on Monday protested their continued stay at home, following the prolonged industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
But Huhuonline.com learnt that a simultaneous protest embarked upon by lecturers of the University of Calabar was frustrated by the Police.
The protesters from OAU, who embarked on a peaceful protest against what they termed as government’s inaction to their plight that resulted in the ongoing strike, marched to the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, chanting anti-government songs and calling for support from Nigerians while the branch chairman, Peter Akinola appealed to the Federal Government to meet ASUU’s demands so that the union could suspend the action.
Calling on traditional rulers to intervene in the crisis, a lecturer from the institution, who joined the protest, also urged the government to make education for the country’s children a major part of the president’s Transformation Agenda, adding that the protest was because of ASUU’s concern with undergraduates’ plight of continuously staying at home.
A representative of the traditional ruler at the palace and Sarun Oodua of the Ife kingdom, Chief Adekola Adeyeye, explained that the Ooni was understood with the lecturers and commended them for the peaceful protest. He also told the lecturers that their grievances would be passed to the Oba for subsequent treatment.
Meanwhile, while this was going on, hundreds of policemen, led by Nnange Itam, an assistant commissioner of police in charge of operations, frustrated the protest that was carried out by lecturers of the University of Calabar. Huhuonline.com learnt that as early as 6.00am, the Police officers, acting on orders, barricaded the main entrances into the university and barred the lecturers from gaining access into the streets for the protest.
ASUU chairman for the branch, Dr. James Ikpiliya said the protest was meant to enlighten the people on ASUU’s stand on the strike, adding that it was organised by the University of Calabar and the Cross River State University of Technology.
According to him, the strike is the final battle to save education in the country and the city walk was to go round major cities in Calabar to clear the air on the blackmail and misinformation carried out by the Federal Government that ASUU was on strike for their selfish interest and personal aggrandizement, which is untrue.
He denied that ASUU was mainly concerned about salaries but said the strike was to push the government to implement the other nine items on the agreement the union reached with the Federal Government in 2009.
“Out of the 10 items on the agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU in 2009, only one item has been implemented, and that is salary increase for the lecturers, so if the issue is on salary increase we would not be here but we are asking for the implementation of other nine issues amongst which is the improvement on the infrastructure in our universities,” he said, adding that ASUU was not bothered about the no-work no-pay decision.
“Students who are studying physics and chemistry do not know what a Bunsen Burner is and what a tripod looks like; it is this terrible situation in our universities that ASUU is fighting for and the Federal Government is calling it politics.
“Any government that does not pay attention to education is a failure and no hunger policy can drive us back to the classrooms to face the same situation that we are protesting against; from the action of this government that is terming ASUU fight for better infrastructure in our universities for the children of the market women as politics, the Jonathan government is a failure.”
Former Chairman of ASUU, Professor Festus Iyayi recalled that the agreement was personally drafted by Secretary to the Federal Government, Pius Anyim Pius, on behalf of government that the Federal Government would release the sum of N400 billion annually for the development of infrastructure in the universities but government.
“Two months ago, we had a committee meeting in the Senate convened and presided over by Chukwumerije and I was shocked when Pius Anyim got there and claimed ownership of the document but when we began talking about the content he said: ‘I put in that document N100 billion to be provided to the education sector’ and Chukwumerije asked him if he did not cross-check the document because in her copy it was N400 billion that is written. Where did your one hundred billion come from?
“Anyim then turned to us and said ‘ASUU you people are intellectuals, I believe you can help him find a way to explain how the figure changed.’ After that meeting, we had several other meetings, which were all set up by the enemies of educational progress. Even when we met with the vice president of the country, Arch. Namadi Sambo, he pleaded for us to return to classroom, saying that when he was Governor of Kaduna State, he did a lot for the education sector, that they will give us the N500 billion but it became clear that he is part of the game the government is playing.”
He described Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswan as a scandalous contractor to the Federal Government, adding that even when the money was far from materialising, “he had already proposed and recommended several contractors to build hostels in our tertiary institution with N1.4 million per bed space and he boasted that he has already built such in his institution, which is outrageous. When we presented it to the vice president, he promised to look into it but nothing has been done.
“People keep saying that ASUU should call off the strike but none is telling the Federal Government to keep its part of the bargain, which its own secretary drew. The road is tough but we must get there; many will be injured but the sacrifice is worth it. Even if it means driving my car as a taxi I will, just to care for my family until the right thing is done. The hunger tactics used cannot stop us but let’s keep the ball rolling; let us not stop until we achieve our goals because it is the only thing we can do now to salvage our educational system and save our country’s future.”
