Public Universities closed for eight months and the Story of King Solomon and the Two Women

By Chinedum Nwajiuba

I write. I write with pains. I write with reluctance. Reluctance due to the transient office I occupy, and for filial reasons that can elicit misunderstanding. I write, nevertheless. Yes, I write with pains. I write because I heard from my father in the 1970s that the education and training of a child cannot wait. And so, I write. I write for my children, biological, social, and inloco parentis, whose education have to wait. I write because I am alive, and I watch my son Idle at home, and yet I wake each day, eat, drink, laugh, and sleep, and wake. I write because of the lessons of King Solomon’s judgement of the two women in 1 Kings 3:16-28.

“16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. 17 And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. 18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. 19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it. 20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. 21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. 22 And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king. 23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. 24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. 25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. 26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. 27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

Moral? The woman who truly owned the child wanted the child to live, even if the other woman took the child. Who owns our universities? Who wants our universities dead? Who wants our universities alive? Who will let go, to avert the death of our universities?

As we may claim to understand, there are some issues making the education of our children since March 2020 (Eight months as at date, this November) to wait. These include:

1. Revitalization fund for universities/NEEDS Assessment. This has been in existence and the last time Government released N200 billion, which as at date not all universities have completely accessed what was allocated to them. ASUU is asking for another N200 billion, but Government is insisting only N20 billion can be provided due to the prevailing economic condition, especially the slump in crude oil revenue, and Government does not want to sign an agreement she knows will not be implemented. Government position is that this is a continuum, and not an urgent matter since Universities will still have to conduct assessment of their needs.

2. Earned allowances. Government has offered N30 billion for all in the system (ASUU, NASU, NAAT, and NASU), as previously done, but ASUU says the N30 billion should be for ASUU alone. Government says the economic situation makes it difficult to offer more for now and granting the request of ASUU and nothing for the other unions will create other challenges in the university system.

3. Visitation Panels. Government has said the President has approved this, but it is yet to be Gazetted and that this is currently at the Ministry of Justice. What is not clear is if ASUU wants proof of the President’s approval, inauguration of the panels, or that the panels start work.

4. Change in the headship of the Renegotiation Panel on the 2009 Agreement. The issue was supposedly that Dr. Wale Babalakin should be replaced. Government has done this and replaced Dr. Wale Babalakin with Prof. Munzali Jubril. What is not clear is if ASUU wants meetings of this Panel to commence.

5. IPPIS vs UTAS. ASUU does not want IPPIS because it does not work well with university autonomy, as it fits best the civil service, and not the university system. Government is reluctant to accept this because according to Government there are technical and bureaucratic reasons with integrating any other system, it entails running parallel portals for Government which government does not want to do, and will encourage other arms of Government to come up with their own platforms, including other unions in the university system, and that by law, NITDA will have to approve.

I hope I got these five right. If, however it turns out that I am wrong, those who will point out my mistakes and/or errors, should please do so as should be. I do not claim to know everything, and I have no other motivation for this, but my hope that somehow, someone will want to be the woman who truly owns the child who should not die.

Proverbs 14:12: There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, is the Vice-Chancellor, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Dope, either ASUU or Fg has to quit for the other to win. FG cannot bow to their needs all the time but to be sincere the money they have given ASUU before what have they done with it?

Cause I see no changes in my school FUTO same old crappy buildings. They only renovate and take care of offices and neglect lecture halls except a private body/exco volunteer to renovate them.

I pray God help us all.

Prof is always on point.

Wise Man, Indeed.