It cannot be gainsaid that every developed society as it were, is founded on educational excellence. The advancement in science and technology ultimately translates into development especially in our globalised village. So when well meaning Nigerians clamour for the repositioning of our education sector, I celebrate them. But one wonders if this is the cause that our all mighty ASUU is pursuing. Today, ASUU strike will be 41days old, and students are still at home. The question is, what exactly are they fighting for?

We all know that since ASUU embarked on this strike, the agitation has always been "full implementation of the 2009 agreement", nothing more, nothing less. What then is the content of this agreement? And of what benefit is the agreement to the education sector and the students in particular? On July 3rd, the Chairman of ASUU, Isaa Fagee appeared on ChannelsTv where he struggled to justify the nascent strike. According to him, the FG has implemented some issues contained in the 2009 but “The other issue that mostly has to do with adequate funding for the system for revitalizing of Nigerian Universities have not been met by government”. here we see that their major concern is money. He went further to commend the government on the inprovement of infrastructures in the various universities, but lamented the nonpayment of some allowances to some lecturers. Some of these allowances according to him included
1. earned allowances for all lecturers. Where he noted that the academic earned allowance was expected to take care of excess work load carried out by the lecturers such as examination officers, deans and supervision of post graduate, masters and other programmes.
2. N100 billlion to address all burning issues
3. Granting the Universities autonomy and so on.
It is worthy to note that the group has abandoned salary increment, retirement age, infrastructures including hostels, and hospitals, standard of education, on the one hand and quality lectures and examination, strengthening the marking and screening process and so on. This is becos, our lecturers are now the best paid, the retirement age has been extended to 70 since they have Refused to give way for the younger generation. But what have they done to justify all these other than successive industrial actions.
Now that they want more money, what is the guarantee that the money will be judiciously used? History reminds us of the torrential corruption in these universities

few months ago, the Vice Chancellor of OAU, Bamtale Omole was accused of misappropriating funds meant for the university and also for shielding corrupt officials http://premiumtimesng.com/news/124135-nigerian-agricultural-institute-workers-insist-boss-must-leave-over-corruption-charges.html

The Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Boniface Egboka, is allegedly at the centre of a huge corruption scandal worth billions of Nigerian naira http://www.africaworldnewspaper.com/massive-corruption-in-nnamdi-azikiwe-university-nigeria/

Group Accuses Unical VC of Academic Dishonesty and corruption http://crossriverwatch.com/2013/04/group-accuses-unical-vc-of-academic-dishonesty/

UniUyo VC was recently accused by the chief security officer of the School as being behind the recent crisis that claimed the lives of student, a development he claimed was meant to cover up some data that could have exposed his corrupt practices http://allafrica.com/stories/201307101175.html

NASU, SSANU accused OOU VC of corruption, call for his removal http://businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/campus-life/35010-nasu-ssanu-accuse-oou-vc-of-corruption-call-for-his-removal

Uniabuja Crisis is far from being over, as some faculties remain unaccredited, and many more.

For our lecturers, they must realise that nation building is a collective project that demands all citizens to contribute their quota. Incessant industrial action may not be the best contribution to the education sector. How have they emplaced measures to address sexual harassment, money for grade, plagiarism(13 senior lecturers were recently dismissed in Unical), to ensure that lecturers teach, that exam papers are marked accurately, that results are released on time, that graduates collect their certificates during convocation, that students are not victimised, and so on. How transparent is the university system.

It isn't about strike, strike and strike, they must crucify their selfishness and embrace the challenging task of nation building which requires our joint effort. 100 billion has been released, only God knows if they will manage it well

No1

Well said op.

I just read that ASUU has rejected the 100 billion naira offered by the FG. They are demanding for 400 billion. Hmmmmmmm God help us

Op, ur ignorance de smell.

Oko_AGB: Op, ur ignorance de smell.

U have succeded in saying nothing. U seem to be caught in ur own web

You see, the ASUU are a bunch of rogues who really have no clear agenda except to their sinister selves. Let me site the rivers state university of science and technology as an instance, no matter how the ASUU lecturers and their cohorts try to vilify prof Fakae, you cant deny the marked improvement in infrastructure around the school campus which is down to the careful utilization of both i.g.r's and state govt funding, if other state and fed universities had utilized their funds properly, nobody would really need to hold students hostage like this. Bear in mind though that the rsust is not in ASUU

PrettyRita: I just read that ASUU has rejected the 100 billion naira offered by the FG. They are demanding for 400 billion. Hmmmmmmm God help us

I hope and believe this isn't true. UNILORIN peeps go dey laff.