₦airaland Forum

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appropriate, international academic co-operation which transcends national, regional, political, ethnic and other barriers, striving to prevent the scientific and technological exploitation of one state by another, and promoting equal partnership of all the academic communities of the world in the pursuit and use of knowledge and the preservation of cultural heritages;

(o) ensuring up-to-date libraries and access, without censorship, to modern teaching, research and information resources providing information required by higher-education teaching personnel or by students for teaching, scholarship or research;

(p) ensuring the facilities and equipment necessary for the mission of the institution and their proper upkeep;

(q) ensuring that when engaged in classified research it will not contradict the educational mission and objectives of the institutions and will not run counter to the general objectives of peace, human rights, sustainable development and environment.

Autonomy therefore does not mean freedom from accountability and internal integrity. Universities must be ready to play their own part by promoting public disclosure mechanisms through which budgets, spending, policies and practices are proactively disclosed to the public and to governments. This would include the need to establish public disclosure systems to release such information on a regular basis, even when governments or the public do not specifically make requests for such information. Internally, there is a need to establish a comprehensive information management system that allows members of the University community to receive the latest and most up to date information about programs, funding, tenure and promotions. The aim must be to reduce the culture of secrecy in governance and to ensure that the right to receive information is not only reactive, but also proactive. University authorities must demonstrate that they have established a system of publishing information suo motu (proactively) on their own volition.

Strong accountability system will place a requirement on University Administrators to outline a strategic plan and an agenda, and to bear the responsibility for reporting publicly on that agenda, consulting on it, and disseminating progress reports on it . The requirement here is to publish and inform the public about the University's strategies and mission as soon as such information is available, even when members of the public have made no request. Examples of information that should be constantly released through public disclosure programmes include operational information, budgeting and costs, policies on promotions, procedures for public input, and the details of decisions taken regarding issues affecting the public for example admission policies etc.

Such disclosure serves the purpose of bringing the University community together to engage in a very public dialogue about what the priorities in the institution should be, why they are the way they are, how resources are allocated, why we want strong solidarity and support from the public around these priorities and resource allocation, and about what progress we are making in terms of managing change to achieve set targets and objectives.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Nigerian Universities need academic freedom, substantive independence and procedural governance which will greatly assist university governance including appointment of university governing councils, empower universities to raise the much needed funds from sources other than government as practised in other countries thereby enabling public universities to cope with the multifarious problems affecting public universities in Nigeria.

One thing is certain; Nigeria has the requisite human and capital resources to boast of the strongest, most collegial and the most autonomous University system in the world. I look forward to working with you to make it happen.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you once again for the opportunity given to me and for your time.

AARE AFE BABALOLA, OFR, CON, SAN, LL.D FNIALS

President and Founder, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti

before doing so. It is this independence that allows a young University like ours to have recorded many landmark success within the last five years. Without financial independence, a University's wings to fly is clipped and it is left to walk, or at best crawl.

Autonomy is important to allow innovation and excellence. So many roads lead to the same destination, the ultimate destination for higher education is to have Nigerian Universities that can compete in terms of quality, standards and products that can compete neck-to-neck with other universities in the world. Universities must be allowed to internally innovate different ways to get to this destination. Universities are better placed to determine the problems they face and to develop solutions to them, after all there reside some of Nigeria's finest and most talented minds. Nigerian Universities cannot be regulated into excellence. It is only through respecting the autonomy of universities that we can have the competition that drives the excellence, diversity and innovation that we need.

How then can we achieve true University Autonomy in Nigeria?

Essentials of University Autonomy

To answer the question posed earlier, when we speak of autonomy, what is the ideal situation. Is it a situation where the government must take no interest of any kind in university governance? Does it mean, on the other hand, that the government can impose a strategic direction, merely allowing universities to choose methods of implementation? The answer lies somewhere in between these two rather different propositions.

Autonomy cannot mean that the government has no stake in universities and that its leaders should mind their own business; that would suggest a level of independence from anyone’s oversight that no other public body in the Nigerian society, whether public or private, enjoys by law. On the other hand autonomy, if it is to mean anything, must include the right of a university to determine its own strategy, taking into account the public interest. Simply put, autonomy for Nigerian Universities should mean the right of a University to enjoy the core privileges of: academic freedom, substantive independence, and procedural self-governance, subject only to public accountability. I will briefly discuss these three elements.

1. Academic Freedom

Academic freedom is the right of the scholar in his/her teaching and research to follow the truth wherever it leads without fear of punishment for having violated some political, social or religious orthodoxy. For comparative purposes, Section 14 of the Irish Universities Act 1997 provides an excellent analogy of academic freedom, It states that:

A member of the academic staff … shall have the freedom, within the law, in his or her teaching, research and any other activities in or outside the university, to question and test received wisdom, to put forward new ideas and to state controversial or unpopular opinions, and shall not be disadvantaged, or subject to less favourable treatment by the university, for the exercise of that freedom.

Justice Frankfurter's opinion in the US Case of Sweezy v New Hampshire, 354 U.S. 234, 250, 77 S.Ct.1203, l L.Ed.2d 1311, 1957, also illuminates what academic freedom entails. he noted:

the four essential freedoms of a university are– to determine for itself on academic grounds who may teach, what may be taught, how it shall be taught, and who may be admitted to study.

A University should not be coerced to make admission and tenure decisions based on political, federal character or other non-academic basis. Academic freedom encompasses the rights of the University to determine academic issues based solely on what it considers the most meritorious. A University should have the capacity to decide on overall student numbers on the criteria for selecting them.

Academic freedom is not just an idea for publicly funded Universities. Rather it is a value that should be recognized and practiced in any university, public or private, that wants to claim the title of a University. Universities must remain the place for unadulterated research and learning. A situation where Universities are coerced whether directly or indirectly into making admission, tenure and appointment decisions on non-academic grounds is an affront to autonomy. Furthermore, a situation in some countries whereby truth is distorted or teachings are altered, academic freedom is also eroded. For example in China and Libya where there have been allegations that Universities are forced to indoctrinate students on the supremacy of the President or where academic publications are altered and doctored by University authorities to avoid the wrath of the government, University autonomy is eroded. In an autonomous system, scholars and faculty members are accorded primacy in academic matters.

2. Substantive Independence

To determine the level of autonomy enjoyed by a University, the first source to examine is the enabling Act or law establishing the University. This spells out the level of regulatory or governmental involvement in the day to day running of the University. Typically, many enabling University Charters in Nigeria vest the Government a strong influence and control over routine University decisions and issues. Substantive independence deals with enabling and empowering the University to carry out its roles and mission without overbearing governmental influence. This includes: Freedom to select University leadership and holders of key administrative positions; Freedom to allocate funds (within the amounts available) across different categories of expenditure. Including the freedom to keep surplus money from budgets; ability to borrow money; ability to decide what to charge as tuitions for foreign nationals; Freedom to select staff and students and to determine the conditions under which they remain in the university and the capacity to decide on salaries amongst others.

For example in many UK Universities, Chairs of Governing Councils including Visitors and Pro-Chancellors are elected by staff, students and other stakeholders. Even if we currently do not have the structure to implement such a process in Nigeria, University leadership should at the least have strong inputs in the selection of members of the Governing Council who ultimately go a long way in shaping the destinies of the Universities.

Similarly, Universities must be free to decide divide and distribute their funding internally according to their priorities needs without restrictions.

3. Procedural Self Governance

Autonomy is as much a matter of how universities are constituted, as it a matter of how they are led. Procedural self governance refers to independence and freedom of Universities to formulate and design their own strategies and to freely implement them. This is different from the freedom to choose appropriate management methods to implement the strategy put in place by the government for Universities. In an autonomous system, the University formulates its own strategies and decides exactly how it hopes to carry out its programs and missions.

The tasks of University Governance should be wholesomely formulated by the Governing Council, on paper and in practice. The Governing Council should without undue governmental influence be given the freedom to formulate growth strategies for the University. The Governing Council should be directly responsible for overseeing the institution’s activities, determining its future direction and fostering an environment in which the institutional mission is achieved and the potential of all staffs and students are maximised.Council should be the final arbiter on rules that determine the appointment and dismissal of key administrative heads of the University without interference or final approval by the Government.

3. Balancing Autonomy with Accountability for public finance

One of the key questions that reoccur is that public universities are funded by the government and by public monies, should the government not then have a right to oversee how public funds are spent, and to decide how government strategies are implemented in those public institutions. I hasten to mention that accountability for public and private funds is entirely compatible with autonomy. Autonomy does not mean the absence of regulations. Indeed, accountability for public funds is essential to continuing public support for the substantial investment of public money in a system of essentially autonomous universities.

The answer to this is internal integrity and transparency by University officials. As mentioned earlier, the only permitted variation to the right of a University to enjoy the core privileges of: academic freedom, substantive independence, and procedural self-governance, is public accountability. Universities must promote a culture of openness in order to justify continued autonomy. As Justice Louis D. Brandeis a famous former Justice of the US Supreme Court once noted while speaking on transparency:

Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.

Accountability is the obligation to demonstrate that a University and its resources have been administered and utilized in accordance with agreed rules and standards and to report fairly and accurately on performance results vis-à-vis mandated roles and/or plans. The 1997 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel provides a definitive answer on how to balance University autonomy with public accountability:

In view of the substantial financial investments made, Member States and higher education institutions should ensure a proper balance between the level of autonomy enjoyed by higher education institutions and their systems of accountability. Higher education institutions should endeavour to open their governance in order to be accountable. They should be accountable for:

(a) effective communication to the public concerning the nature of their educational mission;

(b) a commitment to quality and excellence in their teaching, scholarship and research functions, and an obligation to protect and ensure the integrity of their teaching, scholarship and research against intrusions inconsistent with their academic missions;

(c) effective support of academic freedom and fundamental human rights;

(d) ensuring high quality education for as many academically qualified individuals as possible subject to the constraints of the resources available to them;

(e) a commitment to the provision of opportunities for lifelong learning, consistent with the mission of the institution and the resources provided;

(f) ensuring that students are treated fairly and justly, and without discrimination;

(g) adopting policies and procedures to ensure the equitable treatment of women and minorities and to eliminate sexual and racial harassment;

(h) ensuring that higher education personnel are not impeded in their work in the classroom or in their research capacity by violence, intimidation or harassment;

(i) honest and open accounting;

(j) efficient use of resources;

(k) the creation, through the collegial process and/or through negotiation with organizations representing higher-education teaching personnel, consistent with the principles of academic freedom and freedom of speech, of statements or codes of ethics to guide higher education personnel in their teaching, scholarship, research and extension work;

(l) assistance in the fulfilment of economic, social, cultural and political rights while striving to prevent the use of knowledge, science and technology to the detriment of those rights, or for purposes which run counter to generally accepted academic ethics, human rights and peace;

(m) ensuring that they address themselves to the contemporary problems facing society; to this end, their curricula, as well as their activities, should respond, where appropriate, to the current and future needs of the local community and of society at large, and they should play an important role in enhancing the labour market opportunities of their graduates;

encouraging, where possible and (cont'd in next post)

Afe Babalola, SAN:

UNIVERSITY AUTONOMY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE

Meaning of Autonomy

What does University autonomy mean? Does it mean, for example, that the government must take no interest of any kind in university governance? Does it mean, on the other hand, that the government can impose a strategic direction, merely allowing universities to choose methods of implementation?

The word Autonomy is coined from the greek words auto nomos (auto meaning self, and nomos meaning law). Put together it means to give oneself one's own law. Contextually, it is the capacity of an individual or institution to make an informed, un-coerced decision by its own self, it is the state or condition of having independence or freedom to decide a course of action. The European Universities Association for example, defines it as including organizational, financial, staffing and academic independence of Universities. The 1997 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel, contains an elaborate elucidation of the concept of University Autonomy. It defines University Autonomy in Paragraphs 17-21 as follows:

Autonomy is that degree of self-governance necessary for effective decision making by institutions of higher education regarding their academic work, standards, management and related activities consistent with systems of public accountability, especially in respect of funding provided by the state, and respect for academic freedom and human rights.

Autonomy is the institutional form of academic freedom and a necessary precondition to guarantee the proper fulfilment of the functions entrusted to higher-education teaching personnel and institutions.

It places an obligation on countries to protect higher education institutions from threats to their autonomy coming from any source.

According to UNESCO, there are three essential components of meaningful University Autonomy: Self-governance, collegiality and appropriate academic leadership.

Self governance refers to the ability of a University to exercise internal control or rule over itself. It refers to internal integrity and the ability of an institution to derive authority for its key decisions from within. Collegiality refers to shared power and authority vested among colleagues. In an autonomous university, decision making powers are exercised amongst scholars, students, staffs, and stakeholders in the academic environment in a fair and democratic way. As such, those decisions are autochthonous (i.e home grown) and derive legitimacy from within. The third aspect of University autonomy is appropriate academic leadership which refers to leadership at all relevant department levels of a University by the most qualified members of that University community. It refers to a meritocratic system in which the most qualified scholars are promoted to occupy leadership positions, based on the fundamental belief that power should be vested in individuals according to merit.

Historically, Nigeria's University system had all these three trappings of being autonomous, collegial and self-governing. The Nigerian University system was in its early days influenced by the classical British system. For example, when the University College Ibadan was established in 1948 as Nigeria's first University, its composition and structure was meticulously patterned after elite UK Universities such as the University College London and Oxford University. In the UK systems created in the thirteenth century and surviving more or less till date, the classical British university was a feudal institution grounded on the UNESCO model of an autonomous, collegial and self-governing system. As the former UK Prime Minster Benjamin Disraeli, once famously remarked "A University should be a place of light, of liberty, and of learning". The classical UK University was controlled solely through a democratic system operated and run by tenured Professors and scholars. It was a compact system of organization in which leadership and responsibility were decentralized on the basis of expertise in scholarship. The classical university also was funded on a very restrictive base through private endowments, or benefaction by the wealthy and by the missionary with whom the university was closely allied in its origins.

This model of University governance began to fade globally after the Second World War; the influence of which continues to shape what we have in Nigeria today. After the Second World War, there was an exponential growth in the so-called welfare state idea. The warfare state recognized the benefits of public investment in the conduct of advanced learning, research, technology development, foreign policy and war. Governments began to recognise the relationships between a country's war strategies and its abilities to produce technology through research. There was a therefore geometric rise in the level of relationships between governments and the universities. The result was the evolution of Universities and learning centers funded directly by governments. With increased funding came a sharp rise in governmental influence in key decisions on admissions, access, enrolment, faculty composition, tenure and the election of principal officers.

The breakdown of the elite classical model of University education continued at an exponential rate with the take over of governments by military dictatorships in many parts of Africa. With military leadership in Nigeria came the added impetus for military authorities to curtail student demands and protests, checkmate University Staff Unions and influence key decisions such as governing council constitutions, university quotas, policies and structure. In the periods between 1966 to 1999 when Nigeria was under military rule, Nigerian University systems therefore became increasingly less autonomous, less collegial, and highly dependent on government for funding and for decision making. Government involvement increased with controls over the constitution and membership of Governing Councils, direct control over the appointment of key administrative officers of Universities; and financial controls. Simply put, Government became a key stakeholder and decision maker in Nigeria's University systems. These relics of military rule are unfortunately still present today. As such, the reality of University education in Nigeria today remains that of perpetual demand by University authorities for more autonomy to internally decide, run and execute their own programs and policies.

Why is University Autonomy Important

Before I consider this question, I want to introduce you to the theoretical teachings of one of the greatest University reformers of all times- Sir Robert Menzies- the former Prime Minister of Australia- who is credited to be the father of University education and reform in Australia. When Menzies first became Prime Minister of Australia in 1939, there were six universities in Australia and 14,236 University students, in a country with a population of seven million. By the time he retired in 1966 there were 16 universities and 91,272 University students. One of the key principles advocated by Sir Menzies is the importance of University autonomy. In an address on his first day as Prime Minister in 1939, he asked the questions, ‘What are we to look for in a true university? What causes should it serve?’. He then put forward answers in response to these questions.

In his words, the University must be:

• a place of pure culture and learning;

• a training school for the professions;

• a liaison between the academician and the ‘good practical man’ (i.e a bridge between theoretical learning and its practical application);

• the home of research;

• a trainer of character;

• a training ground for leaders,

• a custodian of the unfettered search for truth; and

• an autonomous institution.

Sir Menzies was emphatic in his words, that it is:

utterly undesirable that any government in a free country should tell a university what and how it is to teach...

He also noted:

I prefer to think of academic freedom as a precious and shining example of that kind of freedom which all thinking men and women want for themselves, and will not abandon without a struggle...Universities … are accorded a high degree of autonomy and self-determination on the ground that the particular services which they render, both to their country and to mankind in general, cannot be rendered without such freedom.

Sir Menzies advocated that the way to a strong higher education system was to create the conditions that allow universities to thrive, and to give them the freedom to chart their own course and then get on with it.

I align with these highly cerebral views of Sir John Menzies. Adopting the previously quoted words of Benjamin Disraeli, a University should be a place of light, of liberty, and of learning. Academic liberty and autonomy is a pre-requisite for true research and learning. Universities must be free to innovate – to try out new approaches to teaching and learning, and to research, untrammelled by excessive regulation or other burdens. Many Nigerian Universities are weighed down by
the bureaucratic demands of political correctness, reporting and regulation that stifle productivity and capacity to innovate.

University Scholars must also be free to air out results of findings without fear of backlash from funding agencies, governments and authorities. Of what use is knowledge that cannot be freely disseminated? The freedom to disseminate research knowledge is often hindered by internal screenings and vetting to avoid regulatory backlash thereby diluting the very essence and key findings of many important research endeavour.

Autonomy is also important to promote a culture of merit and fairness within the University system. In an era whereby many key University appointments and decisions are made from outside the University, meritocracy is eroded and replaced with nepotism, god-fatherism, lobbying and political patronage. The result is a system whereby the most eligible are often frustrated and left without promotions. This has led to the unsavoury situation in which the best currently do not thrive within Nigerian University systems. How can Nigerian Universities compete with the rest of the world when the best are not rewarded? How also can we demonstrate the virtues of hard work and merit to students when these values are not in demonstration within the walls of the University?

Autonomy is also vital to reduce the perennial tensions, clashes and strikes between Governments and University hierarchy. University authorities must be given the freedom to chart their own course and then implement without undue manipulations or interference by governments. When University authorities are allowed to design their own programs and empowered to execute and deliver them, they are morally bound to ensure that such programs succeed. This will lead to an increased sense of responsibility and ownership by Universities thereby eliminating some of the root causes of the recurrent strike actions in Nigeria. Like Judges, University officials must feel a sense of independence and job security while executing their sacred functions of knowledge dissemination to the country. A situation whereby government interferes in appointments, dismissals, promotions, tenure and administrative roles erodes Universities of their abilities to independently perform their primordial functions and roles without pressure.

Closely intertwined with this is the fact that Universities require autonomy to be able to attract and retain the very best minds. Many Universities in Nigeria are unable to compete with their foreign counterparts in recruiting the most qualified Professors and teachers, some of whom are Nigerians, but are now scattered in foreign destinations. To stem the tide of this brain drain, Universities must have the budget, freedom and financial independence to be able to recruit the very best at all times. For example at Afe Babalola University, we continuously scout for the best talents and recruit them. This is because we do not have to seek any governmental approval (cont'd in next post)

iamphilips:
MORE PHOTOS

Please explain what the arrow is pointing out?

https://punchng.com/ASUU-ippis-the-truth-of-the-matter/

Let me begin with the obvious observation that modern societies face a growing dilemma usually posed by the fact that key institutions and their elite are increasingly dependent upon intellectuals, particularly those in universities, research institutions and the cultural apparatus generally. But why? The reason is simple: intellectual work is quintessentially the labour of the mind and the soul. And it is only in this regard that intellectuals differ from other categories of workers like civil servants or road transport workers. In other words, intellectual workers are those who are proficient in and are actively engaged in the creation, distribution and application of knowledge and culture.

Their principal focus is on innovation, the elaboration of knowledge and scholarship as well as art and other symbolic formulations generally. Included in this category are scholars, scientists, academics, philosophers, artists, teachers, writers, journalists, lawyers etc. In a few words, development is largely dependent on research which is the domain of the intellectual. It is in recognition of the value and worth of the intellectual that Ngugi WaThiong’ O, Africa’s literary General, once intoned: “Artistic and intellectual ideological struggles are part of the overall struggle for development.”  In Africa (and Nigeria precisely), are the conditions favourable and conducive for the intellectual to conduct meaningful research? Are Nigerian universities burnished up to international standards?  Or in what environment and under what conditions is the Nigerian intellectual operating? A series of questions could be asked. But let me quickly pluck the fruit of my story namely: ASUU and IPPIS.

For the past few months, the Federal Government has, once again, demonstrated its blatant disregard for and total vilification and debasement of intellectual labour by insisting that all Nigerian universities should be part of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System. The whole idea of IPPIS smacks of ignorance and mischief but it is essentially an admission, by the ruling class, that Nigeria is a nation that has no respect for education and intellectual work. Again, it is an unfortunate reflection of the levity and contempt with which our leaders treat serious national issues.

The first, and by far, the most worrisome aspect of the IPPIS is the fact that it is a blatant violation of the concept of university autonomy. University autonomy is a global practice associated with universities all over the world and it has four main dimensions namely: academic, organisational, financial and staff autonomy. Perhaps, some little words about university autonomy would suffice.  Academic autonomy simply means the university’s capacity to manage its internal academic affairs independently. Such academic issues include students’ admissions, academic content, quality assurance and the introduction of new degree programmes. Organisational autonomy has to do with the university’s ability to decide freely on issues like decision-making bodies, executive leadership, legal entities and internal academic structures. Financial autonomy (which is the theme of my story) is all about the university’s ability to decide freely on internal financial matters like managing its funds independently and setting its strategic aims.

To all these must be added the fact that university autonomy gives absolute powers to a body called the university governing council. This body is officially recognised by the laws establishing universities in Nigeria. It is this body that is saddled with the responsibility for the control and management of university funds, employment and promotion of staff. All edicts and statues establishing universities  and the nation’s constitution give full powers to the governing councils as the supreme body concerned with the day-to-day operation of the university. In the profoundest sense, university autonomy means that all powers academic, managerial and financial are vested in the governing council. All the agreements signed between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities since 1992 have shown abundantly that Nigerian universities should be allowed to operate in  compliance with their enabling laws, statues, rules and regulations. The Federal Government is expected to honour these agreements. If the Federal Government insists on imposing IPPIS on ASUU, the obvious implication would be that the government is insincere, irresponsible and unreasonable. It would have also succeeded in robbing the University Governing Council of all its powers. This situation has the potential to breed discontent and dissatisfaction among scholars.

Closely related to the issue of university autonomy is the peculiar nature and structure of Nigerian universities. As a place where knowledge is created and distributed, it is common practice that universities, quite often, collaborate or depend on professors, resource persons and facilitators from other institutions and universities. Again, we must concede that such partnership or collaboration is meant to buttress the fact that the academia is a place for flexibility, robust intellectual debates, exchange of ideas and arguments. But the one good thing about such an arrangement is that it aids the spread of knowledge and ideas. The whole idea of relying on academics, colleagues and professors from other universities becomes the more significant in our tragic situation in Nigeria where universities are established not for pragmatic purposes but just to score some cheap political points. In other words, Nigerian universities lack the desired academic manpower needed to cater for thousands of students admitted on university campuses every year. But again, it is common practice all over the world that the reliance on academics from other universities is aimed at entrenching the culture of merit and impartiality in the award of degrees. All these factors explain why academics are offered sabbatical terms to other universities; they are also invited to serve as external examiners/assessors, moderators and visiting lecturers to other universities. Should the IPPIS be imposed on Nigerian universities, all this collaboration and dependence will be eroded. Come to think of it, with the IPPIS housed in Abuja, it would be practically impossible for a visiting professor or external examiner from, say, the University of Lagos to be adequately captured and remunerated by the University of Port Harcourt, for academic or other professional services rendered in the latter university.

More irksome is the fact that the Federal Government has recently portrayed ASUU as an intransigent and unpatriotic union that is derailing the fight against corruption. This is the grossest falsehood and the general public is invited to note this mischief.  The agreement signed between ASUU and the Federal Government apart from conferring immense powers on the governing councils also contains another mechanism for checking the excesses or otherwise of the governing councils. According to this arrangement, the Visitor of the university is expected to conduct a visitation of the university at least once in every five years. The purpose of such a visit is to check all the activities of the university and punish any culprit. On almost all Nigerian university campuses, there are written documents to show that ASUU has been in the forefront of drawing attention to acts of financial mismanagement and other corrupt practices. Lamentably, the Federal Government has never taken the presentations from ASUU seriously. It is amazing though not surprising because in Nigeria, committee reports usually find their home in the dust bin. Government can do more by funding the universities adequately and by putting university governing councils in perpetual check. ASUU has nothing to hide and is not afraid of IPPIS. What ASUU has found very unpleasant and disturbing is the fact that the introduction of IPPIS will make it impossible for universities, as a place of research, to perform maximally. And in order to show that ASUU is not averse to IPPIS, the union has offered to coordinate the project of starting a distinct platform for the universities in place of the IPPIS if granted approval by the Federal Government.

What is clear for now is that the problem of university education in Nigeria is closely related to the problem of funding and the superintendence of the university governing councils. This is as much as to say that the problem of university education is aggravated by the blatant refusal of the government to live up to its primary responsibility of providing education for all citizens. The way things are now, the clouds are gathering and another torrential rain is in the offing, should the government impose IPPIS on ASUU. The government should act wisely and quickly in order to avert the unpleasant consequences of such a downpour.

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I have read this and feel the piece is very educative on the subject of ASUU and IPPIS. Please read to the end.

THE MISCONCEPTION OF ASUUS POSITION ON IPPIS

It is no longer news that there is a brewing war between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Academic Staff Union of Universities on IPPIS. The former insists that the latters members must be captured on the platform of the IPPIS if they wish to receive salaries henceforth. ASUU says no based on some fundamental issues while the FGN believes that ASUU is guilty of insubordination. The stage is thus set for a clash of the titans.
In view of the above scenario, I wish to explain certain things the way I understand them. First and foremost, I wish to explain Academic Freedom and University Autonomy based on the proceedings of the International Conference on Academic Freedom and University Autonomy held in Sinaia, Romania, from 5 to 7 May 1992. The Conference was organized by CEPES, the UNESCO European Center for Higher Education, the Standing Conference of Rectors, Presidents, and Vice-Chancellors of the European Universities (CRE), the National Rectors' Conference of Romania (NRCR), and the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO, in cooperation with the Council of Europe. The conference brought together some 180 distinguished scholars, including representatives of international organizations, from about 30 countries.

After thorough debates, the participants in the Conference all agreed that:
a university is the repository of truth, be it historical, cultural, or scientific; it is the place where minds, embarking on the quest for truth, meet and clash in pursuit of this ideal. Minds so-fashioned are the individual carriers and transmitters of past and future thought, of tradition, and of innovation. The university, by its very nature, is the collective mind that bears the truth of all who pass through it, continuously revising and improving scientific knowledge and concepts in a climate of and according to the principle of truthfulness. It is the place where the scholarly elite, the critical intellectual mind of a society, takes shape, discards obsolete findings, and affirms and reassesses other interpretations of truth. In order to function as a hotbed of knowledge, a university must benefit from and respect a number of basic norms of conduct. Although not a fundamental human right; academic freedom is a basic university right. Academics must be free to choose what they will put forward in their teaching, research, or publications. Academic freedom is the freedom of individual academics to follow a particular path of intellectual conception and activity within particular higher education institutions. The second crucial institutional right of a higher education institution is university autonomy. It is the right to fully exercise and practice academic freedom and self-government with regard to internal activities. It is the right of a university to be free of interference by the state and by any other external power as regards its operations and affairs. (https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000092770 accessed 28 November, 2019)

Back home in Nigeria, there are provisions guiding the operations of universities. There is the Principle of University Autonomy as enshrined in section 2AA of the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Act 2003 which states that:

"The powers of the Council shall be exercised, as in the law and statutes of each university and to that extent, establishment circulars that are inconsistent with the laws and statutes of the university shall not apply to the universities.
Section 2AAA of the same Act states:
“(1) The Governing Council of a university shall be free in the discharge of its functions and exercise of its responsibilities for the common management, growth and development of the university.
"(2) The council of a university in the discharge of its functions shall ensure that disbursement of funds of the university complies with the approved budgetary ratio for:
(a) Personnel costs;
(b) Overhead costs;
(c) Research and development;
(d) library development; and
(e) The balance in expenditure between academic vis-à-vis non-academic activities.

"For example, the 1992 Act of the University of Abuja expressly states in Section 6: Functions of the Council and its Finance and General Purposes Committee:
(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act relating to the Visitor, the Council shall be the governing body of each university and shall be charged with the general control and superintendence of the policy, finance and property of the university including its public relations. There shall be a committee of the Council to be known as the Finance and General Purposes Committee, which shall, subject to the directions of the Council, exercise control over the property and expenditure of the university and perform such other functions of the Council as the Council may, from time to time, delegate to it".

Going through the above objectively will make any unbiased reader understand the position of ASUU better. It is said that people will revolt when they have nothing to lose but their chains. There are peculiarities in universities and that is why it is called the ivory tower. We should look beyond ethnic, political and religious affiliations in this issue. It is a procedural as well as systemic issue. Let us look beyond PMB. The resistance is never against him.

Some people say that ASUU is selfish. I do not understand what they mean by that. In 1992, when Professor Jega was the ASUU president, he took on IBB on the funding of university education. IBB said that there was no money and Jega and his team came up with a proposal that multi-national companies and industries should be made to pay a percentage of their yearly profits for the development of education. It was called education trust fund. The government implemented the proposal and she realised a lot of money which she distributed to primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the country. It is now called TETfund. No public university can survive in Nigeria today if we remove TETfund. The major thing the government does for universities now is the payment of salaries. Apart from this, you can talk of Needs Assessment which may not be more than two buildings per university.

Some other people ask, How can employees tell their employers how they should be paid? This is having a misconception about governance. No Dangotes employee can tell him how he is to be paid. The government oversees our collective wealth. Nigeria is not a company. We should stop seeing those who manage our collective wealth as people doing us a favour. It is a very wrong mentality. That is why we always send emissaries to our Governors to thank them whenever they perform duties they promise to perform during campaigns and are elected to perform. This makes them have a false sense of grandeur instead of seeing us as their employers.

Others say that in the developed world, where universities enjoy autonomy, the universities generate the money with which they run the universities. That is why they believe that ASUU should not talk about autonomy. I wish to ask them these questions: Doesnt National Assembly have autonomy? Do they generate their own money? What about the Judiciary and the likes? Moreover, education is a social service which government renders. If we say universities must become income generating institutions I wonder how many children will have access to university education.

As you read this, the National Assembly is neither on TSA nor being captured on IPPIS platform. Let us forget the fact that some of them may not meet our expectations but their autonomy is sacrosanct for the growth of our democracy. If the autonomy is taken away we will become a banana republic.

The Army is not on IPPIS. The Navy is not on it. The DIC is not there. NDDC is not there. Why the hues and cries about those who need autonomy most? When they talk of the cream of any society they talk about universities and other tertiary institutions. Some may say what about other professionals? Other professionals are equally produced by the same institutions whose autonomy ASUU is fighting to protect.

Out of lack of adequate information, some say ASUU is selfish. According to such people, they are selfish because they want to be visiting two universities and be collecting double salary! They say further that ASUU members go on sabbatical when they collect more money for doing nothing. Some others say that instead of those Professors working up to 70 years they should retire normally at 35 or 60 on the account of service and age respectively.

I wish to explain the above misconceptions to a layman. Visiting other universities means that you go and teach there at least twice a month. You are paid 50% of the basic salary you receive in your place of primary employment. You cannot visit if your rank is below Senior Lecturer. And to become a senior lecturer you must have gone through the ranks of a GA, AL, L2& L1. So how many lecturers do you think can partake in the so called visiting?

Sabbatical is almost always for the Associate Professors and Professors and sometimes Senior Lecturers. This is because of the fact that it is the professorial cadre that is in short supply. Moreover, you can only go on sabbatical once in seven years. How many seven years do you think we can get in the service years of someone who is a Senior Lecturer or a Professor?

On the retirement age, tertiary institutions are not like where they deal with files and the stuff like that. They are places where people do specialised intellectual work. You can compare them to lawyers who have to read till they drop dead. They are not places where you retire people whose places can hardly be filled at the age of 60. They are the people who carry out researches to better the lots of the society. In fact, in developed world, university Dons rarely retire. It is not because they like money but because they are not tired of moulding the young minds. We say lecturers should retire at 60 but they can be senator at 80! It is very funny. For our information, Nigerian lecturers are the least paid and the least remunerated in the world. You can take this claim to the bank. Outside Nigeria, even in African universities, the templates they use are straightforward. Each cadre has a number of hours to teach per session. Anything above that is calculated as excess work load. However, it is not calculated like that in Nigeria. That is why we have brain drain in the country. And our politicians are the highest paid in the world. What an irony! A professor in Nigeria, after many years of reading and research, does not go home with ₦500,000!

The IPPIS does not make provisions for external examiners for PhD and other postgraduate students. It does not make provision for the payment of External assessors for promotions to the ranks of associate professors and professors. There is no provision for casual staff such as cleaners and gardeners who keep the environment clean. There is no provision for adjunct and part time lecturers who are professionals in their field but could not take full time appointment because they are already working elsewhere. There is no provision for international experts who would want to come from world recognised universities to come and establish new programs in our universities and share their wealth of experience with us. There is no provision for post graduate supervision which has been completely removed from the IPPIS platform. All these are against the norms in universities world over. The government insists that the universities use internally generated revenues to cater for all the above. That means the universities are to increase fees that are already difficult for many students to afford except children of those who have access to free money.
ASUU is not asking for total autonomy as it is. The universities are administered by Governing Councils constituted by the President. The members are appointed by the President with Vice Chancellors and Registrars as members and secretaries respectively. ASUU has just two people representing it through the senate of a university. This is to show that the control of universities is still in the hand of the President who is the Visitor to those universities. What ASUU is asking for is a template that captures the peculiarities of universitys operations and to be so controlled by the organs stipulated and recognised for the purpose by the relevant act and not by the office of a civil servant. If we claim that we do not think that ASUU has a case it means we are not being fair and objective.

The university is the only constituency in this country whose members do not defend wrong things. When a staff violates a rule, he or she is shown the way out. ASUU will never defend erring members. ASUU condemns whatever sane people condemn. University Professors have been serving as Returning Officers during elections. We always say look at this professor who is expected to be independent! What do you think will happen if their salaries are to be paid from a single platform being controlled by the office of a civil servant? Think about it.

It is good to fight corruption and a greater percentage of workers in our universities are in support of the fight against corruption. If not for the fight against corruption the salaries we are talking about now wouldnt have been there anymore. However, we cannot cut our nose to spite our face. We should not look at ASUU from a greedy perspective. It is the only voice we have now. It is the only union that has refused to allow ethnicity, politics and religion to polarize it. If it allows ethnicity, politics or religion to polarize it the northern universities should be supporting the enrolment by now. When we talk about them we should do so with consideration. We should not have pictures of only the bad eggs. We should have pictures of those whom God used to make us what we are, and to some extent, make us who we are. We should note that many of them are parts of the struggle to liberate Nigeria and Nigerians and they are here with us even on this Ayo Ojeniyis wall.

Thank you and do have a wonderful week.

#Copied

lookingfly:
you've not correlated the how ASUU joining ippis would cause suffering in universities. Why should there be fee hike if ASUU joins ippis?

if university staff joins, it would be easier for politicians to buy public universities like they've been trying to do for decades now. It would also be easier to underfunded the universities even further. If they buy, they become private universities and students will pay like private universities. It's only ASUU that has been resisting the sale of public universities and it's still the elite class of politicians (billionaires) that can afford it. If you look at the tertiary institutions, you will see several projects that are as a result of ASUU struggles over the decades (TETFUND, ETF, NEEDS). Despite this, universities are underfunded, just look at the budget on education over the years.

kinguwem:
Despite its shortcomings, the IPPIS payment platform is still the best presently. The best ASUU can do is to develop an alternative payment platform that can correct the shortcomings in IPPIS.
Our administrators are fraudulent & a lot of them feed on ghost workers salaries, underpayment of staff & giving multiple appointments to their cronies.
Lecturers in public institutions are employees of government & the institutions funded by government & the VCs appointed by the Visitors to the institutions; so the issue of autonomy does not make sense.
Finally, the academics are the catalysts that induce development in any society. They should be at the forefront of policy formations, critical thinking & life changing innovations & researches.
Unfortunately in Nigeria they are not celebrated nor properly motivated. To become a Prof. & become a politician - VC, electoral officer etc. is now the dream of a lot of academics.
The universities need reformation.

Good submission about developing an alternative to the IPPIS. But saying that autonomy does not make sense is wrong. If universities do not have autonomy, there would be undue interference and several protocols will be broken to the detriment of the academic system.

lookingfly:
how would student suffer?

Another reason:

And then federal universities will become like private ones paying exorbitant school fees. How then will the common Nigerian be able to to afford to go to the university. Every well meaning country in the world still have public universities like Nigeria currently does. Do your research. Mind you, the FG still monitors the finances of the universities through the governing council members appointed by them in the first place. They have the power to hire and fire any underperforming council.

Akaujaa:
Whoever that wrote this just churned out some piece of garbage, repeating himself without making any reasonable point. Who makes the law for universities, the governing council right? Okay, have you not also heard that any law made by any agency, body or organisation must not contradict that of the federal republic of Nigeria? If the university governing council made a law and the federal government who own the university and by extension lay the university staff, decide to change the law through the national assembly, what then is wrong with that? You can't be under my employment and decide for me how to pay your salary. If I give you a job and tells you that your salary can only be paid into your bank account, meanwhile you don't have a bank account. Will you protest that because you don't have a bank account or you will quickly adjust by opening a bank account?

The law was made by the national assembly and not the governing council

contigiency:
Oga, you are misleading people with false information. Over time allowances, traveling allowances, hotel accommodations, visiting lecturers honorarium etc are never part of regular wage bills or salaries. They fall into other charts of accounts.

For instance, you will see such items like, travelling expenses, part timers honorarium, traveling and accommodation, overtime duty allowances etc. All these fall into overhead expenditure. Unless you are saying that IPPIS has eliminated anything overhead expenditure entirely, which is not and will never be true.

After all those other government agencies that have enrolled in the IPPIS still pay overtime duty allowances, travelling and accommodation expenses etc. And mind you, lecturers do not earn overtime but earn what they call "earned duty allowances" which they have been told that IPPIS will accommodate including their retirement age which will is not the same with that of regular civil servants.

Yes, the FG said that, but only with word of mouth. It didn't capture it and during the meeting ASUU asked them some pertinent questions which they could not answer. Please click on the link below the original post to see what those currently on IPPIS are suffering

lookingfly:
how would student suffer?

I copied this from a post above:
"I have come to realise that majority of Nairalanders are students and they hate lecturers with passion as a result of what they may be passing through in various higher institutions. Be that as it may, the truth of the matter is that public higher institutions will finally collapse if their affairs especially as it concerns finance is controlled from Abuja. The way public primary and secondary schools are in Nigeria now would be the fate of public higher institutions."

gnykelly:
Your point of view is understandable... You will also agree that we as a country has been battling with corruption in a long while and government is doing everything to stem it... This IPPIS is one of the initiatives.

If in the wisdom of ASUU if it thinks that government should not supervise her payroll (though FG is bankrolling it) it should strife to independently generate income to pay her staffs

And then federal universities will become like private ones paying exorbitant school fees. How then will the common Nigerian be able to to afford to go to the university. Every well meaning country in the world still have public universities like Nigeria currently does. Do your research. Mind you, the FG still monitors the finances of the universities through the governing council members appointed by them in the first place. They have the power to hire and fire any underperforming council.

Angelfrost:
Didn't bother reading beyond that first line...

Go do some real research... Don't be a dolt.

That was how y'all kept lying and covering up the issue of sex for grades, till BBC pulled down your pants. Mtchewww.

You didn't read the post and you're criticizing. What do you know that the post said then? When you criticize, do so objectively and with fact and not assumptions

Afamed:
If you are sincere enough with yourself, you will know, most of those Professors only come to school to supervise exams. They practically don't exist to teach until two days to their exams. When I was in University, one of my lecturers only came on Thursday not even to lecture but to attend to administrstive issues

This is another problem entirely and IPPIS will not solve it.

contigiency:
You lied especially on the bolded statements. You talk as if you are an agent. It has been demonstrated to ASUU time without number that their status and peculiarities will be configured in the IPPIS such that it will accomodate their retirement age and earned allowances. So why are you misleading people here?

Yes, they demonstrated it to ASUU, but ASUU saw through it and asked them some pertinent questions about the platform which they couldn't answer. IPPIS is ridden with several problems. Please click the link below the main post to know.

MT:
The op's rant does not hold any water. Address the issue you have with IPPIS, don't attempt to whip up public sympathy on this because you won't get one. You and I know majority of you are very corrupt and incompetent. Like someone stated, if you see Nigerians fighting desperately over a particular issue, there's a corruption somewhere there they are trying to protect.

The purpose is not public sympathy but educating the public. If you looked at the article objectively and do your research very well, you'll know they are facts.

Afamed:
Why must people agree to your lies when most of us experienced this during our University days? From all indications , you have seriously been benefitting from this unscrupulous act. The way , you go around to defend this ASUU impunity

It's not a lie just because you said so. Everything written here is the truth. But, it's a free world, you don't have to believe it. But look at it objectively is what is expected

Geenosko:
My supervisor in university was a full time lecturer in another private university, I even helped him mark scripts and record scores. So it's very disingenuous of you to say that lecturers don't hold multiple jobs. It's definitely not all but quite a few do.

You Lecturer would most likely be doing adjunct lecturing or visiting lecturing there. It's not a full-time job and such part-time jobs are allowed in lecturing. That you're marking scripts for him doesn't make it a full time job

RichDad1:
But these can also be factored into the IPPIS.

They are not factored in to the IPPIS. The FG is only using mere words to tell us that they are there but they're not. Students will suffer if universities move to IPPIS

agabusta:
Then why are you running away from the IPPS?

Because it is against the extant laws establishing universities in the country.

Debye:
Lazy youths can't distinguish full time job and what is called adjunct.

Don't mind them. They do not understand the difference between having two jobs (one full-time and one part-time) and having two full-time lecturing jobs. All they have to do is read objectively and criticized objectively.

amadiwati:
Whoever wrote this, with due respect is evil and does not want the progress of the is country. We know the country is not in a a good state. But the little good that is done we should encourage.
There is so much rot, corruption in the university system.ASUU are bunch of thieves and greedy folks. Nasu, Saanu have all keyed into the new policy. Why is it just assu.
Please if you can do your deligence on the matter, It will be more convincing than what I'd divulge to you. FG is not turning back on this , trust me its a time of visitation for ASUU

You're wrong, because the content of this write up is the truth. The person that wrote is a good person that wants the readers to understand that ASUU has a genuine reason to reject the untoward policy. Did you even click on the links below to discover the corruption in IPPIS? When you see facts, you should reason with it. Those links show what people that have enrolled in IPPIS are suffering and that is part of why ASUU is rejecting it. We should face facts and not insinuations. Besides, IPPIS is designed for core civil servants and University workers are not in that category.

Ipromote:
You must be kidding.

You don't have to agree but you should know the truth!

https://thenationonlineng.net/police-officers-to-buhari-senate-investigate-ippis-over-salaries/

http://saharareporters.com/2019/07/27/exclusive-corruption-how-office-nigeria%E2%80%99s-accountant-general-refused-pay-civil-servants

Yes, it's true. Nigerian lecturers do not hold multiple full time lecturing jobs. It's a cheap blackmail by the FG to force the university staff to join IPPIS, which is against the extant laws that established the universities. A Lecturer is only allowed to do adjunct or visiting lecturing jobs, which are part time jobs. Before universities employ lecturers, they ensure that such persons do not hold any other full-time job before the appointment letters are issued. This is because they know that it's against the law to hold multiple full time jobs at same time when working in the public service.

Every country is guided by laws and the rule of law must be upheld by any government if not anarchy could set in. Universities do not just come into existence, every university is established only after the law establishing it has been made. Therefore universities have laws that are backing them as passed by the national assembly. In addition, there is an act of the national assembly that is dedicated to universities generally in the country.

Now, the law of universities all over the world and Nigeria establishes that universities must have governing councils, whose members are appointed by the visitor (the president, for federal universities and ; the governor for the state). These governing councils are by law vested with the responsibility of managing the university in terms of its employment, finances, etc. Therefore, university workers are responsible to their respective governing councils, which employed them. Remember also that they are employed by the visitor to manage the universities and they need not be redundant according to the law.

The law also states that any government policy that is contrary to the law should never supercede law. That means that the law is sacrosanct on such matters. The IPPIS will erroneously remove the power to manage the finances and employment of staff from the governing councils and this is against the law. The law of the land no matter whose ox is gored must supercede any contrary policy as is the case with the IPPIS. The government of the land must uphold the law as they swore to do.

If we must move forward as a country, we must learn to respect our laws else we would be inviting more anarchy in the country. I am typing this in order to educate the readers and to ensure that we do not fall for the cheap blackmail by the FG. Several MDAs that joined the IPPIS are currently regretting their decisions, due to its many disadvantages. Please check the links below.

babyfaceafrica:
not going to happen

Not going to happen for what reason? You didn't give any. One of reasons why you're living freely and can even use your phone to type this is because the law of the land protects you. Imagine if government brings a new policy, for example, that no citizen is allowed to own a phone, what will you do? If they arrest you because you own a phone because of the policy while the law does not say that you cannot own a phone, would you not protest for your rights? One should learn to bow to superior arguments. And that is that the law of the land does not allow policies like IPPIS to supercede the law establishing universities in Nigeria. That's the law and even the FG must respect the law the vowed to protect, else even the freedom we enjoy today in the country might be taken away through one new policy or another? Think!

Afamed:
Is there anything ASUU is hiding regards the IPPIS?

My brother, there's nothing that ASUU is hiding. ASUU is only saying that government should obey the law of the land and allow the university councils to do their duties. These council members are appointed by the same government, so what's the problem with allowing them to do their Statutory duties? This is the general practice all over the world, why must ours be different?

Afamed:
But you fail to mention to us those disadvantages of the IPPIS.

Here are some of them

http://saharareporters.com/2019/07/27/exclusive-corruption-how-office-nigeria%E2%80%99s-accountant-general-refused-pay-civil-servants

https://thenationonlineng.net/police-officers-to-buhari-senate-investigate-ippis-over-salaries/