Thanks for asking for my take on Festus Keyamo’s submission on the current ASUU-FG impasse. I wouldn’t have bothered offering any comment if you had not tagged me. I say this because there is nothing new in Keyamo’s submission. This is in addition to the fact that very many people are already aware of what the ASUU-FG impasse is all about, and who is not telling what.

Now, let’s tease out the issues and I will only address a part of his submission for want of time. First, it should interest you to note that issues around the present impasse between ASUU and the FG is not new. It should also interest you to note that, in the quest to addressing the first part of the issue, there was the Babalakin’s Committee which was working on it before he (Babalakin) resigned as the Pro-Chancellor of Unilag over some internal squabbles in that university. You are aware that in 2020 ASUU embarked on strike around the current set of issues. Part of the reasons for suspending that strike was the appeal by the FG and the setting up of the Munzali’s Committee. That Committee submitted its report in May 2021. Your APC led-government refused to look into the report of the committee nor even invite ASUU to a discussion on it, thereby forcing ASUU to start shouting on top of her voice. The union was indeed forced to issue threats of industrial action, yet no response was forthcoming from the government. The union had planned to down tool as at December, 2021 but refused to do so until February 14, 2022 when all calls to the FG met with a deaf ear. The aftermath of the current strike action of the union led to the setting up of the Briggs’ Committee. The government explained that she could no longer work with the Munzali’s recommendations because the former has served out his tenure as a Pro-Chancellor. What does this suggest? Does it suggest any level of being sensitive and responsible by a government on a critical sector such as Education? Despite the frustration, ASUU as a Union kept faith believing government will do the needful when it is ready. But here we are, the Briggs' Committee that worked round the clock its been condemned on the dumb argument that ASUU objected to the presence of some critical stakeholders while the committee held its meetings. Yet, there are minutes of meetings showing the attendance of representatives of these stakeholders. In fact, Professor Briggs reported that he and others actually went round to seek the inputs of these stakeholders before inviting them and ASUU. If everybody was dumb, would Prof. Briggs be that daft? Didn’t these representatives report ASUU’s objection? How was it handled before rubbishing the work of an Emeritus Professor led-Committee?

Keyamo stated that ASUU unilaterally and arbitrarily fixed her own salaries. Where in the world is that done? Perhaps he and the rest of us should go and read the Principles of Collective Bargaining and how it operates. Is there anyone who will listen to those figures reeled out by Keyamo who will not consider ASUU as being unreasonable? But wait a minute, Amoka told us that as at the last count there were 39,784 academic staff in federal universities. There were 7,125 Professors, 3,377 Readers (Associate Professors), 7,368 Senior Lecturers, and 21,914 Lecturer 1 and below. Now look at the average gross and net salary of each category of lecturers and do a bit of arithmetic. The average monthly gross and take-home salary of professors is about N497,000 and N385,000 respectively. The average monthly gross and take-home salary of Readers is about N374,000 and N286,000 respectively. The average monthly gross and take-home salary of Senior Lecturers is about N307,000 and N237,000 respectively. The average monthly gross and take-home salary of Lecturer I and below is about N172,000 and N138,000 respectively. Multiply the monthly gross of the different categories by the number and multiply the obtained figures by 12 months, then add them up, and tell me what you arrive at. Meanwhile, if that amount is increased by Prof. Briggs' committee by 180% as claimed by Ngige (whom Keyamo is serving as a surrogate for), you know what the figure will be. That is simple arithmetic. It is definitely not N1.2tn. It is just too far from that. I really don’t know why government officials lie so brazenly?

Interestingly, when Keyamo was asked what message he has for parents and students who were watching at home, all he could muttered was that they should beg ASUU. Does that not portray him as being bereft of ideas? Even as it is, ASUU has made suggestions to this government on new ways to raise funding for the education sector (I know you may want to ask me what these are). But I wouldn’t bother. Here is a government that has continued to establish new universities at the expense of properly funding the existing ones. Every legislator has turned the act of establishing university into a constituent project. Today, we learnt there are about 63 bills in the national assembly seeking to establish new universities not minding the present quagmire. I listened to a former key Minister in this same administration saying he must have a University of Transportation in his village. Yet, in another stance, he described the country’s situation as hopeless and helpless. If this is the mindset of those we have appointed to lead us, it remains curious and beats one hollow, what goes on in the mind of anyone who will not hesitate to throw caution into the wind defending them at all cost. I personally don’t throw out abuses on government, but it doesn’t mean our defense and argument for them isn’t misplaced at times. I have no doubt that the APC led-government can end the ASUU strike today if they wish to end it. The ball is in their court.

Thank you and best regards.

AMUSA Tajudeen Okekunle
University of Ilorin