₦airaland Forum

whyman: Let's look at our surroundings and make meaningful contributions that we, our family and the community would be proud of.

Thanks. I earlier suggested that people consider volunteering (no pay ) at nursery, primary or secondary schools if they find nothing else to do.

Shinelle: . I will in no way benefit from there plans!!

You are right, and I can only apologize for that. However (please don't be angry when I say this) your one consolation might be that if we can get education (especially tertiary education) right, the country will be better, and over the course of your career, you will benefit from it. I'm not trying to be inconsiderate...just looking for some silver lining for you...

theoctopus: This Prof is just selfishly playing to the gallery. Funds are not the reason for the poor graduates our universities are churning out.

Thank you. I have just one question for you. How do you recruit good lecturers then? How many first class students do you know who pick up lecturing? Can you tell me why? Thank you.

Jobig: .a whole lot of revenues schools generates that is not accountable of.

I didn't get most of your post, but the last part is important, as it is a very common argument. Look, there is corruption in the universities just like everywhere in Nigeria (and especially because we do not pay enough to get *only* the right sort of people). However, the corruption is usually not enough to make a big difference.

The fact is just that education is much more expensive than people think. Someone was claiming earlier this week that when universities charge N10,000 per space for accommodation, they make a net profit. Really Please do the maths more carefully and you will realize that it is being subsidized.

Another example: I mentioned earlier, when students use my university's Internet, they have no idea it costs well over N50 million per year (closer to N100 million).

Finally, when I told someone that my university could pay more than N20 million per month on electricity, he immediately objected. Well, it is true.

Short story: yes, some money is embezzled, but it makes little difference really.

stagger: I was a university student when ASUU was on strike in 1992 for 9 months and in 1996 for 6 months. Not to count the numerous school closures we had as a result of riots against the university authorities to improve conditions, the same conditions ASUU is fighting for.

God bless you. You put it in context much better than I did.

Front page? Mukina & Seun, you're my heroes
Okay Nigerian students and other stakeholders, lets talk about education in our country.

wesley80: If it concerns moving this thread to the homepage, only the SuperMods (Seun and Mukina) have such powers and the best place to catch them besides sending a pm is in the politics section. I put in an appeal since morning but the mods obviously have some other ideas - not like I'm surprised anyway I think the thread was'nt 'packaged' well enough for the homepage. Still keeping my fingers crossed anyway.
Great job you're doin here and I've learnt a lot personally even though I still hold my reservations. I'm guessing you prefer an engagement with those bearing the brunt of the strike action so I'll take my leave and continue watching from the sidelines. Two thumbs up.

Thanks for the heads up bro. Please feel free to hammer me anytime I say something you don't agree with

jaidor: So face it Mister (or Prof), I for one can never be deluded by your extremely sentimental write up...and it's simple, you stick to your opinion and i'll stick to mine. Thanks

Thank you. Sentimental? That's an acceptable accusation which I will however need you to substantiate. I will help you by creating a summary of the writeup:

1. I am an academic and I want to inform people about the issues at stake; I have only honest motives
2. Tertiary education is extremely expensive but nobody, government or parents, wants to pay for it
3. If money is not injected into education (especially tertiary education), not only will we remain a perpetual developing country, but Ghana may become the sub-regional power
4. The selfish part of our strike is to demand for allowances that we have *earned*, and that government promised. However, the part government finds most difficult is the part where we demand for what they consider outrageous amounts to improve our infrastructure
5. People sometimes demand that ASUU shut up and put up with current working conditions, when it is this same conditions that prevents the system from employing the exceptional lecturers that will put an end to the problems such people observe.
6. Regretfully, students are the ones who suffer the most from the strike. It is true that it places endless suffering on them, however, there is a silver lining because most students will end up benefiting in some way
7. Students do not need to idle away the time during the strike. They can turn the loss into a net gain of sorts.

Now, as I have been nice enough to summarize a long write-up just for you, will you point out which elements you find untenable? Or are you allowing your preconceived notion of ASUU as a bunch of selfish dudes cloud your judgement?

MY NEW CHALLENGE TO NAIRALAND STUDENTS

Hello Nairalanders, we have focused so much on the ASUU-FG tussle, but I am a little bit disappointed that nobody bit when I threw the mylecturersreputation.com idea out there. My point was, and remains, that we are all stakeholders in education. There is more you can do to make things the way you think they should be. A few suggestions:

i. Someone should pick up the mylecturersreputation.com idea. I am convinced that it can be used as a powerful deterrent to lecturers who want to be naughty. Won't it be delicious irony if students use the downtime caused by an ASUU strike to develop a platform to keep ASUU members honest?

ii. Why don't you guys develop studentsideasforeducation.com.ng (or a similar section on Nairaland)? What I mean is a clearinghouse for suggestions and idea on how students can influence things. You could start by first identifying a list of what the pressing issues are. You know yourselves (at least your Nairaland selves) and you know the smart ones among you. Create a thinktank to run it. Its good to use the Internet as a place to crack "dancing azonto" jokes, but you should be able to do other, more creative things too.

*It is easy for anyone reading this to assume I am some stupidly naive idealist. I am not. If nothing else, I consider myself lucky enough to have seen students with whom everything I have said above would resonate. I am just not sure whether there are such students in Nigeria, but that won't stop me from hoping.

onlyme07: In one of your post you accused the students of not doing anything and they have power to bring the strike to an end. Can you please shed more light on that. I mean, what do you think WE students can do to save OUR future.

I wasn't actually saying you can end the strike like that (other than mounting pressure on FG, which is not a straightforward thing).

I was responding to someone who challenged my view that students can be productive during a strike action that has thrown them out of classes. I then went on to argue that with creativity, there is *a lot* students can do to change the system. I will expatiate in a separate post right after this.

ZackiGp: And i say again, prof is trying by all means to draw public sympathy with his write up. He writes smtin, waits for an angry student to insult him and then he responds nicely and calmly to the insult.

Ha, guy, you cynical o I did admit earlier (I believe I was addressing oxford then) that I focus on the angry students. That's because they are the ones I need to try to convince. For the records, what I want is not *sympathy* for ASUU's action. If we are big boys we should be able to cope without your sympathy, no be so? What I want is for Nigerians to understand that there is an ongoing battle for the future of tertiary education (and Nigeria).

Also taking from what I shared with oxford, there are two separate issues that people mix up:

i. ASUU is made up of lazy, greedy call-em-what-you-wants
ii. For the sake of the future of this country, *someone* needs to inject funds into tertiary education

While I expect many people to share sentiment one, I will be shocked if I find people disagreeing with sentiment 2.

The problem most people arguing against the strike have is that they are allowing sentiment one to becloud their ability to appreciate sentiment 2.

*by the way, your observation is right. I chose to respond politely to angry outbursts. It is by choice (believe it or not, I do have that quick temper...). I am a teacher, and that is true whether I am in the class or not.

Does anyone know how to get across to the fynestboi or any of the education mods? I'm not sure they've to this part of town so perhaps we need a more direct path to them (within the bounds of Nairaland)?

Also, just to bring closure to the delineation thing I did earlier, these are the 6 statements again:

1. Some members of ASUU are unprofessional so-and-sos who should not be anywhere near a university
2. Actually, number 1 applies to most members of ASUU
3. ASUU is not really interested in anyone's well-being but their own
4. Education is very expensive and is crucial to the future of this country
5. The current level of funding of education in Nigeria is abysmal
6. Government signed an agreement but there is nothing wrong in the fact that they have failed to honor it

I dare say we would probably agree on points 4 to 6. The issue is statements 1 to 3. And even there, we agree on statement 1. The only two statements for which I think we would disagree are statements 2 and 3. Well, you are entitled to believe statement 2 because of your own experiences (although I do not). Of course, assuming you believe statement 2 (that it is most ASUU members that are lazy, greedy etc) it is logical that you would believe statement 3.

Nevertheless, I hope you see that whatever our views about statements 1 to 3, it mustn't prevent us from tackling the hugely important statements 4 to 6. Interestingly, by solving those, we can also solve the problem of unprofessional lecturers.

*By the way, my view of statement 6 is in the reverse o, just to be sure.

What say ye?

oxford: Thank u prof and accept my apologies for my anger. Regards

Hey oxford, like I hinted earlier, I realized that behind your anger, there was a mind that needed to be convinced on why he should believe something contrary to what his experience suggested. I'm happy you decided to apologize, but frankly, didn't even need you to. You see, an exchange such as this can be boring unless someone brings a contrary view (and you know Nairalanders like fight ).

To your question: First, I don't believe ASUU is asking for the whole 3 trillion now. Also, I feel that even spread out, ASUU might consider meeting the government halfway (not necessarily literally o) if the government is able to make a very *sincere* case about why providing the money would bust the economy.

So, if I were president, first I would make it abundantly clear to ASUU that I realized the importance of taking care of tertiary education (even if I don't care much for ASUU itself). I might make some noise about something like a state of emergency in education (perhaps through my ministers). Of course the ASUU guys are going to be cynical, so its essential I let everyone see that I am sincere about the issue.

Then I will talk to my ministers (especially madam. Not Dame o. The other one ) and try to wring out as much as I humanly can. Whatever it is, I will offer ASUU. Between you and me, I think the country can afford N400 billion. If it turns out that it can't, I will be sure to make my argument clearly to ASUU.

If what I want is to try to wean the universities (and ASUU allowances) off FG and more on the parents, I will be clear about it, no beating about the bush. But again, I will present a clear, humane argument, and phase it out. Of course, if I am a president looking for second term, I will be very careful about executing this risky maneuver

Long story short: I will not necessarily give ASUU all they want unless the country can afford it, but I would (a) do all I can to get what they need because tertiary education does need the injection (b) make it very clear to them that I understand the enormity of the issue.

ZackiGp: prof, will i be right to say then dat u are nt on strike or better still u r not in support of ASUU strike?

Ha, alakoba, don't incriminate me o I assure you that I am very much on strike and in support of the ASUU action.

It's just that Yorubas say "ta ba n su'kun, a maa riran" (even when crying, one still finds a way to see through the tears). My grouse is with FG. By the act of withholding myself from classes, I am making myself heard in Abuja. I am not fighting my student (or myself!) so any other activity that can help either is game. That's just my view though, I don't know how far it deviates from ASUU orthodoxy, although I know quite a few people who share the same views.

ZackiGp: prof, if i can remember vividly, the strike dat was declared on june 30, 2013 is TOTAL, COMPREHENSIVE AND INDEFINITE. why the research and the community service dat i'm hearing for first time?

Well, you asked *me* a question, not ASUU, and I told what *I* am doing, not what ASUU is doing. ASUU, as an umbrella body I fall under, gave government a notice of total bla-bla. Between you and me, I consider that just part of the normal rhetoric of trade disputes. Most lecturers in my university come to the office at least once a day. I can't tell you what *they* do, but thank God you only asked what *I* do, and that is just what I told you. If you want to know, I am actually still seeing my research students (at least those that want to be seen).

U235weapongrade: 10x Prof Femi for the time you've Dedicated to dis. Lest I forget Prof,why does Uni-illorin not go on strike? And is it fair that they don't participate in any industrial action but benefit from them at the Long run.

Thank you very much. Unilorin...I'm someone with a tightly wound sense of fairness, and the Unilorin issue is nothing if not unfair. While other universities close their doors to fight for the future of the Nigeria educational system (and I admit, partly our pockets), Unilorin stays aloof and "forms" like they are a more civilized bunch.

The sad part is that they then partake of all the benefits: they get to eat their cake and have it. I hear they are currently planning to distribute their share of the FG 30 billion. Something we are still fighting and suffering for, that they never worked for.

Actually, there is some history to it. Unilorin used to also have a strong ASUU. However, (I do not know the exact details) during one of the old ASUU strikes, the university felt the ASUU guys crossed some line by disrupting exams or something like that. They were fired, and though the case dragged on for years, the university never absorbed them back. By that singular act, the university broke the back of their ASUU.

{Before others reading this start cheering however, I should say that although ASUU has its excesses at times (yeah, I said that), it is still the single most vocal champion of education in Nigeria and by extension, our future. }

Unilorin still has ASUU. In fact, I believe they have two factions, but they have been effectively muzzled. I guess at the end of the day, one just has to reason that the academics there are our colleagues, and many of them have the same views. When you are friends, it's not only those who took part in the hunt that get a share of the spoils...

ZackiGp: Okay prof femi, i'm sorry for the insults, just dat ur write up is insuilting. (mayb i shd av attacked the message and nt the messenger). Now that dat i'v apologised, i av a question for u. U av being typing since yesterday when u shd be teaching( i remember u said u want to be referred to as a teacher), if the fg decides to pay you prof will u accept the salary dat u' ve nt worked for?

Thanks, anyone man enough to openly apologize deserves respect (mind you, that doesn't mean we still won't disagree from here to Kontagora o).
As you observed, I have been typing almost non-stop since yesterday. It is extremely tedious going, but I think it is worth it.

To you question: yes, I will accept the salary. Why? Because the job of an academic consists of (1) teaching (2) research (3) community service. I hope you consider my Nairaland outreach community service . More importantly however, I have been extremely busy with my research. You wouldn't believe it from the amount of chatter I have been involved in online, but I have a grant application deadline on the 15th. So, I will accept the salary as remuneration for work done.

However, if the government takes the stance that while I am on strike, they will seize the salary, I wouldn't particularly mind. Consider that my act of self-flagellation, so that I too feel some hardship as I am making students pass through same. In case you're wondering, I mean every word I just said.

[quote author=chreld_b]I wold recommend this to the MODS for front page. I implore everyone who has contributed to this thread to do the same.[/quote]BTW, thanks for your help on this...

dayo23: Well done prof, I appreciate your time here. I have gone tru your previous post and i find them interesting, Am a student of ABU Zaria pls permit me 2 ask this 2 question; firstly what about the 400billion naira FG release some weeks back to take care of the infastructural decay in all Universities? secondly when do you feel ASUU will likely call off the strike even if FG does not pay the money?. Once more tank you sir 4 your time.

My brother, dealing with the government of Nigeria is like wrestling with a man that has rubbed okra all over himself. There's so much smoke and mirrors that you wonder if they are magicians! As far as I know (and I stand to be corrected) FG has not released any 400 billion. What they have released is 130 billion, which has a number of k-legs:

1. 70 million of it was taken from money ALREADY PREVIOUSLY assigned to the universities (see ASUU chairman's interview on this site). So government actually gave N30 billion for allowances and 30 BILLION for infrastructure. Note that by the terms of the 2009 agreement, infrastructure for 2013 was supposed to be 400 billion (maybe that's where you got that figure from)

2. The government wants the universities to raise the balance for the allowances for now and ever by raising their school fees (they called it "IGR". Where else can universities raise that kind of money when they are by definition, not-for-profit)

As to when the strike will be called off, I frankly do not know. I just dey here dey type ignorantly. For all I know, ASUU might be agreeing with GEJ right now...I don't want to insult you by speculating. I will just refer you to a few answers back where I mentioned three possibilities on how the strike might pan out. Cheers.

oxford: Prof, With an open mind take your time and read the article below written by Ikhide.

Okay, I wolfed that down. It's a brilliant write-up based on a questionable premise. You see, the fact that one is intelligent does not mean he has the facts in hand. You can imagine what *you* would write if you had Ikhide's reach.

I watched an interview of the ASUU president on one of the top TV stations in the country. The interviewers could barely conceal their irritation at ASUU. That is fine if it was based on knowledge of the facts. Unfortunately, it became obvious that they had not read the SINGLE MOST DETAILED PERTINENT DOCUMENT on the matter: the Needs Assessment Report! How can an "unbiased" newsman conduct an interview and not familiarize himself with the facts? To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.

So, yes, Ikhide is smart and all, but DOES HE HAVE THE FACTS?

To be clear about what I mean, I need to do something now. We need to delineate the issues here, and state where we stand on each. You probably think I am trying to cop out and deny some of Ikhide's allegations. Not at all. Are there lecturers who do all those things he said? Of course? Has ASUU been troublesome? Yes, but if you have all the facts, you will realize it is generally with good cause.

Now to that delineation: to my mind, these are simple statements that have been coming up in our arguments


1. Some members of ASUU are unprofessional so-and-sos who should not be anywhere near a university

2. Actually, number 1 applies to most members of ASUU

3. ASUU is not really interested in anyone's well-being but their own

4. Education is very expensive and is crucial to the future of this country

5. The current level of funding of education in Nigeria is abysmal

6. Government signed an agreement but there is nothing wrong in the fact that they have failed to honor it


It appears to me that the nub of your posts rotates between statements 1 to 3. Is this correct? If so, what is your stance on statements 4 to 6?

Much has been said and written about the unprofessional conduct of some lecturers. There have been groans about the fact that universities fail to hold their staff accountable. Well, if we fail to do our jobs, is that any reason for you guys to just take it?

What stops someone from creating "mylecturersreputation.com.ng"?? A site sort of like http://blog.ratemyprofessors.com/ where people can create profiles for their lecturers and collate reports? Obviously, such a site could be abused, but as I have already made clear, creative thinkers look beyond the obvious. I can see how the idea could be so well operated that lecturers start using their opponents' mylecturersreputation pages against them during deanship etc elections, thereby legitimizing it (of course, there are other means by which such a site could be legitimized). I wonder what NANs is doing, other than just making noise (yeah, someone says they learnt from their ogas...lol).

Summary: you students could be much more powerful than you think.

You see, students are part of the problem (I can hear your collective jaws dropping to the floor; "wetin we do now??" ).

Our students have been programmed to think of themselves in such small terms that they often cannot grapple with issues. As a people, we have never been great at finding and developing creative solutions. This is one place we can learn a lot from more developed countries (particularly the US, since that's the place I am most familiar with).

I'll give you an example. Supposing a student suggested "let us create student-owned schools". "Obviously", this is a lousy idea. The response of Nigerians would be for all hell to break lose; total mockery and general derision. If it were US students though, they would look beyond the OBVIOUS fact that it is stewpid, and try to not just state the REASONS why it is stupid, but suggest how a few of those reasons might be eliminated. Before you know what is happening, a totally new (but equally unique) idea sprouts, perhaps, "let us develop student-run loan schemes".

My point: as a people, we never try to look beyond the obvious for solutions (yeah, I appreciate the irony that this also applies to ASUU). Just sitting here, it occurred to me that if students cannot do anything about the funding palaver, there is much else they can do something about.

[quote author=chreld_b]I would like to play the devil's advocate here. @ the bolded in your above post which I have quoted, I think your opinion there is insensitive to the plight of the students and somewhat arrogant.[/quote]I appreciate when people speak frankly. However, I do not agree with you o. My statements were not insensitive. Sometimes what one considers the truth without gilding the lily makes one sound harsh. The truth is that Nigerian students are programmed from primary school to be rote learners who can only function when the parameters of the problem are clearly spelled out and familiar. When they need to improvise creatively, things fall apart.

I am not trying to say that the ASUU strike is a desirable state of affairs at all. My view is, now that it has happened, is there something the students can do about it, or should they just sit at home idly because they are full time students?

Mind you, I do not agree that the tag of "full-time student" means one cannot do those things I suggested. I think you will agree that when Zuckerberg started Facebook, he was one. Think about it, a full time student started a multi-billion dollar company.

So, I wasn't being harsh. I was simply telling the students what I *know* they could do, rather than acting the victims. And on the topic of Nigerian students' mindset, I still have a few things to say...

kaka22: Since there's an agreement between FG and ASUU, can't ASUU sue FG to court to compel them to implement it instead of embarking on strike?

To be honest, I do not know that much about labour laws and so on. I do know there is IAP but I don't know what exactly constitutes their jurisdiction. I'm tempted to say that there is no precedent where the courts ruled against the government on such a major trade issue but the honest answer is, I just don't know. Sorry

U235weapongrade: @oxford I tire for u sef..is it all lecturers dat sell handouts dat are Bad...As long as you were not forced to buy the handouts.

Just to be clear, my declaration about handouts was not meant to suggest there is something inherently bad about them. It's just that the making and selling of handouts holds considerable threat of being abused. It all comes down to the integrity of the lecturer involved.

onlyme07: the FG is refusing to shift grounds likewise ASUU.Would the strike be on for ages?

In my mind, there are a few possibilities:
1. The strike goes on for so long (next year?) and some ASUU guys just get tired and say "what the heck, lets call off and let the schools do whatever they can to raise IGR. That means astronomical fees)

2. Government shifts ground of its own accord and ASUU also shifts ground too. How long this might take is unpredictable.

3. Government shifts ground much faster (and ASUU shifts likewise) because the groundswell of public opinion is so much against them that they become afraid they will lose control.

I am hoping for option 3, and that is part of why I am trying so hard to let everyone know what the stakes are so we can mount more pressure on government.

oxford: Prof, I never attempt to be rude to you but I hate deceit with passion. Your intend of opening this thread is not well vailed and I could see right through you. That I refused to join the bandwagon of your praise singers is to me a plus.

Hello oxford. When you first started posting, I assumed you were a troublemaker and kept away. However, as your posts became more civil, it became possible to interact with you. I sort of singled you out because yours is the angriest voice so far (apart from that one that keeps abusing me...) and represents to me the biggest test of whether my stance holds water.

If you knew me personally, you'd know that I greatly prefer (not-too-harshly-put) negative criticism to positive ones. Why? People are far likelier to lie when they are praising you. To be frank with you, seeing that I have something termed "followers" on Nairaland is scary to me, because I'm just as likely to fumble and misyarn as the next guy. Having "supporters" makes me less likely to say exactly what I want the way I want because I wonder whether my guys will be disappointed.

My reasons for opening this thread are not thinly veiled. They are not even veiled at all because I clearly stated them. I am not the ASUU president or an exco in any university. I do not even attend meetings(!) Did you see where I agreed with you that ASUU has no business with landed properties? I just state my mind. There are other ASUU stances I don't agree with. If we talk reach there, I go tell you.

Long story short: please go ahead and continue posting (in your current polite tone if possible ). We need dissenting voices. But I also want you to be honest and frank as I have been to you.

*By the way, I laughed hard at "mr. Prof come back here". Na wa for you o, guy.

I thank everyone who requested that I return to the thread.

I didn't leave because I thought those guys were rude; I was actually rather enjoying interacting with oxford because I felt his posts were becoming less vitriolic. I left because I was afraid that ZackiGp was right: that in my zeal to engage students, I was giving off the wrong sort of vibes (pride, arrogance etc), and I feared this would drown out my message.

I am relieved to find that such is not the case, and I will be happy to spend some more time on this forum later this afternoon/evening.

I do not know the mechanisms by which threads get 'frontpaged'. I did put in some effort to get FP status, but I'll appreciate if someone could speak with the mods or something. As uccee said, it would really help if this got wider coverage. Thanks.

ZackiGp: Mr femi, what are u feeling like? U think u are better than other lecturers? I wonder who or what is deceiving u. Greed, selfishness and shamelessness characterized ur writeup. I think u are confused.

One reason why I value anonymity online is that it allows me to speak without my personality getting in the way of the message. From your post, it appears I have gotten to the stage of diminishing returns; a stage where others start taking offences at my perceived personality issues. I think my original post and the answers I have given are enough for people who *need* to be informed. I will henceforth cease posting on this topic.

For the records, I do not have a superiority complex. I have however been privileged to relate to my peers in the world's top universities and I have an exact sense of who I am. If that sounds like pride (or selfishness or shamelessness), please forgive me.

All the best, and good night.

[quote author=oxford][/quote]1. Yes u all should be fired! What are guys been paid for? For running ur photocopy centres?
Shrug. Go ahead and fire us then. Hope that makes you happy.

then dont come here and tell about a 2009 silly agreement( or isnt asking govt to transfer land to ASUU silly?)
Look, I do have to agree with you on this one though. ASUU has no business asking for landed properties. You heard me right.


2. Prof i challenge u to tell this house if u as a person has ever or not sold handout before. This is an intergrity test.
- Hahaha. I honestly feel sorry for you (I sincerely do not mean that in a demeaning way, God is my witness). The fact that you would be ready to trust my answer reveals the sincerity behind your utterances. I think you just had a raw deal in terms of the university you went to. Dude, I have NEVER in my life sold hand outs. None of my friends has EVER done that. In my university, it is illegal to sell handouts. People still do it in the faculty of social sciences, but as far as I know, they convert them to actual books with ISBN. Dude, I have to say, you have one heck of a weird view of academics. To be frank, it is not entirely unfounded, but you've got to believe me, we are not all bad guys. If you are interested, you can rustle up an old thread I opened on Nairaland to tell you the sort of person I am.

3. Go check the dictionary definition of blackmail
- okay, will do

4. Ever heard of street protest, ever heard of industrial court? What about partial strike action?
- Okay...can you please tell me one instance where this worked in Nigeria?

5. 130 billion + bugetary allocation + etf fund is not enough sign? What other sign are u asking for? The sign of jona i quess
- Since I assume you speak from a place of sincerity, let me explain to you gently. Budgetary allocation is not enough. Can you please go up and see what I "claimed" to be an estimate of the cost of running a university? ASUU and government made a pact in 2009 and TOGETHER planned a roadmap that the government has refused to follow. So you don;t think ASUU has cause to doubt the sincerity of that government. Finally, the 130 billion is made up of: 30 billion out of (87 billion? 92 billion?) owed for allowances , and 100 billion for infrastructure. All good, but for the fact that 70 billion of that is taken from TETFUND, which is already earmarked for the universities (I'm quoting ASUU president here...). That's right, government is robbing the universities to pay the universities.

6. My take is that ASUU will make a very good political party, why not apply to inec to be registered as one?
- you have a right to that thought.

ASUU = strike. Kindly prove otherwise
- People say I am a relatively good programmer, but I have no idea what this equation means. Okay...you want us to prove that we're not all about strike? Yorubas say "ti abiku ba gboggan kiku, iya e a gbogban sisin" (as long as the ogbanje child continues to die, his mum will continue to bury him". When government realizes that we have not just lost the race to the developed countries, but are now about to get behind Ghana and other serious African countries, I will stop to support any strike action.

smartchoice: Sadly they are not...

You're indeed feeling rage The picture you paint is the sort of thing that makes me seethe in anger.

On the one hand, I feel bad seeing colleagues thrown under the bus, but to be frank with you, I am sick and tired of this system. If we need to name and shame people, so be it. I still maintain though that when it comes to being stuck with incompetent lectures or those with nasty attitudes, the only solution is for universities to be able to attract the higest quality replacements if necessary. Then, people would sit up.