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ASUU, you are your own worst enemies!

Gbolabo Ayodele

28/6/2022

Image courtesy: thegazette.ng

The Academic Staff Union of Universities- simply ASUU- industrial strike that started on February 14 this year and has lingered till now, is not in any way surprising. After all, strike actions embarked upon by the university lecturers have been a recurring theme in the Nigerian higher educational system. Historically, strikes in universities have dated back to the eighties during the height of the repressive military regime, and these agitations stemmed from declining working conditions in the university environment to the mistreatment of staff by the authorities.

Even as Nigeria returned to democratic rule, the higher education sector has seen countless disruptions in its academic programme which has been exacerbated by the government's refusal to effectively address the pressing demands of the striking party. Meanwhile, in recent times, strike actions by university teaching staff have lately assumed different dimensions. Agitations have morphed from just bad learning situations and inefficient teaching environments, ill-treatment of teaching staff occasioned by poor remuneration to lack of implementation of agreements reached with the government after calling off earlier strikes. From 2009 onwards, ASUU always held on to the non-implementation of previous pacts reached between them and the government; which is to increase budgetary allocation in the education sector and revitalise the government-owned universities in a bid to reposition the quality of education in the universities, as the contending factor in their readiness to go on strike.

Amid all of this bickering, there has been no reasonable end in sight to these strikes or rather both parties have failed to find any meaningful solution to settle the issues at stake. The thing that has only been established from all this unrelenting industrial action by ASUU over the years is the sickening interruption in the academic calendar of the universities. Worse still is the indifference displayed by the warring parties to the plight of students who are the ones caught up in the avoidable crossfire; because as the saying goes: "When two elephants fight it is the grass that most suffers." The debilitating effects of these strikes on the students have been well documented such that they are faced with different psychological and emotional troubles leading them to become disillusioned in the course of their academic sojourn.

Such is the intensity of these strikes that students in the public universities are known to add up additional years to their normal years of study because it is always a given that they would at some point be forced to sit at home in the course of their study. This scenario has got most of them involved in a series of inhibiting indulgences just to provide succour for their inner frustrations. The incessant strike has been seen to undermine the performance and capabilities of university students to the extent that they are unable to take cognisance of what their studies can help them achieve.

At no point in this time is it inconceivable that university teaching staff would not embark on strike. It is observed that since the advent of Nigeria back to civilian dispensation in 1999 till now, ASUU went on strike 16 times with only 8 years left out in those periods, totalling approximately 1, 600 days which amounts to over 4 years of strike actions. These numbers are quite significant when you take into consideration the valuable time lost which could have been expended into actually imparting knowledge to the students. When those lost years are imputed into the academic life of every student hampered by those strikes, there will be a realisation of the extent of the precious experience they could have garnered in the course of their study. Also, put into context the credit hours that were wasted which could have been deployed into adequately equipping students and there would be a reasonable understanding of how far they can go in actualising their academic potential. 

But quite frankly, when deep thoughtfulness is used to look at the grounds for those agitations, an understanding that the lecturers are left with no choice will arguably suffice. It is no secret that the Nigerian public university system is in a state of downright disarray which needs a quick fix to get it back up and running. It is seen that due to this unpalatable state that the public universities are in, students are now being forced to look elsewhere for alternatives. A noticeable trend is the obvious patronage of private universities where students are thought to be exposed to better facilities and assurances of a stable academic calendar; also those of affluent means that can afford to study abroad take that route to bypass the neglect that is evident in the public university system.

To any discerning mind, this calls for urgency into how this sorry situation can be rightly resolved; however, this question of when the better repositioning of public universities to forestall this downward spiral will happen falls into the obscure backlight of how it will be accomplished. This is pertinent because it is a known fact that those that are tasked with overseeing the affairs of the education sector are found to be unconcerned with how the universities can be saved from a complete breakdown. Even some public officials have been seen to lose value for public institutions of learning by their decision not to enrol their wards there, instead choosing to send them to elitist schools in or outside the country.

This has allowed those that are concerned about the near-comatose state of public education to also support the stand that ASUU is taking, as regards the need for a speedy fix of the sector, that they cannot sit idly by and watch the ivory towers, where they are critical stakeholders in passing on knowledge and learning, wither away with no irredeemable solution in sight. To their credit, ASUU has always been at the front and centre in demanding more funding for government-owned institutions through increased budgetary allocations so that there would be an improvement in the delivery of quality education. Even other union bodies in these public schools feel the need to press home their demands in conjunction with those of ASUU because of the extent of perceived negligence shown to them by the system.

For many, however, these struggles have been seen as rather self-serving because ASUU has not shown enough commitment to force the government's hand in placing a premium on education. There is the opinion that ASUU has not displayed a keen intent by their dissident methods in engaging the government which has increasingly been left undaunted by the lecturer's movement. Whereas ASUU feel they are expressing their right to hold the government to account for better functioning of the education system, the government in turn develops strong-arm tactics to further demean the efforts of the lecturers and push them off the negotiating table.

Now and then this has been the trend in all of these agitations. A lot are of the view that ASUU must change strategy because as it looks now, they are being left flat at their own game. There is this widely held stance, which is that they cannot simply overrun the government because, at the end of the day, the lecturers are accountable for any decisions taken by the government. It is being said that: "He who pays the piper dictates the tune," so the government sees the lecturers as just being at their whims and caprices after all. That is why most of the points of their demands quickly lose steam, causing observers to now merely view this stand-off as just a mere clash of egos where the real victims are the students. Some have even equated ASUU to be a political body whose only aim is to get a seat at the table where they deliberate on how to take part in sharing the common patrimony of the country.

So those fingers that ASUU have been pointing are already been directed back at them and those who have felt the need to stay on their side are already backing down in support of their cause. However, ASUU cannot simply be allowed to fold. As intellectuals who are involved in the very serious business of raising future thinkers, they deserve to be treated with every bit of respect and dignity. Nonetheless, they need to be allowed the right to fashion out how best the public education system can be positioned because they understand the system better than anyone does.

A common contention nowadays of ASUU is a desire to have their payment system called the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) in place of the one they are currently been enrolled by the government which is the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS. ASUU claims this stance is necessitated by the need to have control over their finances, and many believe that universities ought to be autonomous in that it will propel them to be more proactive in making decisions that will be essential to their smooth running. These are the issues that keep popping up time and time again, and by now ASUU should know how to better place them at the doorsteps of the government. As intellectuals, they should be seen to display a keen sense of knowledge in holding the government to task and not engage just like any other radical pressure group.

While a show of aggressiveness is needed at times to be heard, ASUU must go to a phase of reinvention where they are constantly fashioning out how the university system will be properly positioned to gain back its glory days. Strike actions are a germane way for workers to demand their rights and university lecturers fall under this ambit, but industrial actions in universities should not extend for months on end; it is true that universities in other climes sometimes down their tools whenever the need arises but this does not last for so long as it obtains in the country's universities. Getting their ideas right will truly set ASUU apart as a union that really wants to see universities and the education sector working again where students of every modest background will be able to get the best quality education on offer; otherwise, they will inexorably lose their exalted place as a body that educates and shape society's future generations. 

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Promoting leadership values in democratic governance: The Ekiti Youth Perspective

Gbolabo Ayodele

28/2/2022

The essence of leadership is to develop a mutual sense of belonging and understanding between the leader and the led or followed and followers in some sense, to achieve certain set goals and aspirations and to promote common interests and motives, through shared identity and established values for the benefit of a particular close community, and society at large. This concept concerns leaders providing the necessary guidance and proper motivation for the followers in a way as to ensure that various economic, political and other resources available are adequately utilised and managed for the utmost good of all. Therefore, in a democracy, leadership entails channelling the right tools and available equipment to deliver responsible and appreciable governance for the efficient functioning of society.

The task of leadership is not wholly restricted to an individual as it may be carried out by a group of persons, and the leader(s) must possess special given qualities and traits to appropriately govern and direct the affairs of the followers. These include but are not limited to honesty, morals, ethics, values, reorientation, good reputation and other key qualities needed in leaders. These are needed ingredients essential for a leader to help train, and influence one or more followers to discover the different gifts, abilities and skills needed and focuses the followers on their roles in a combined coordinated effort, to achieve their potential. In this context, the Ekiti youth is imbued with certain innate traits that can enable them to perform capably well in any leadership role; if they are equipped and empowered with the right principles and ideals, and provided they are also adequately prepared to effectively harness their wide-ranging leadership capabilities, to succeed in any such role.

Ekiti is a state situated in the south-western part of Nigeria and is made up of mostly the traditionally homogeneous people of Yoruba origin and other groups of people living there; which is blessed with a rich and diverse culture, and huge natural resources in human and material capital, and also has a vast arable land with abundant agricultural resources and fine vegetation. The state is also famous for its highly impressive tourist attractions: with a variety of high hills and large rocks, warm springs and lakes. Ekiti State, whose slogan is “Fountain of Knowledge”, is also hugely important and renowned for its high educational attainment among her people, with many public and private education institutions spread across the state producing over the years, educated persons and professionals in different fields of study who have gone on to make positive impacts and substantial contributions to the state and various strata of society. As a fact, the state has a growing youthful population with a large number that are educated up to tertiary level, and they have been trained in various programmes which can enable them to perform at optimum level in every endeavour of life, as well as efficaciously taking up and doing well in any available leadership undertakings.

Despite the foregoing statements, from what is observed in the system, there seems to be not much promising progress recorded in the manner the youths of Ekiti have been judiciously assisted and supported in their quest for relevant involvement in the leadership process, especially as it relates to the demands of the twenty-first century. This is seen from the near or total absence of the youths in the actual participation in the democratic process of governance. The youths are most times merely seen or used as dispensable ‘instruments’ in the acquisition of political or other institutional control and then left in the lurch after grabbing power, by the political leaders or other influential figures who hold the levers of authority in a governmental or otherwise setting. From public indications, there are not enough opportunities presently in place for the youths, or to put conspicuously; they have not been sufficiently allowed to take up any available leadership positions: whether at lower cadre-level or top managerial roles, or have freely been able to fill appointed or elected public office. They are more or less at every turn up met against a brick wall in their attempts to have a consolidated grasp in the running of the affairs of any recognized organisations due to the obvious entry barrier; whether physically or emotionally, the youths have mentally been downgraded to the lower precipice of governance, which has greatly hampered their chances to contribute gainfully to society.

Leadership in the twenty-first century should not be merely identifiable with the hierarchical control of power or its other mechanisms in a superior (leader) and subordinates (led) relationship; however, leadership in this day and age encompasses a holistic approach that emphasises due processes, relationships, and entrenchment of values and ideals over management of people and resources, in the day-to-day running of affairs of governance. Leadership in this sense is a form of servant-leader type or transformational leadership that crucially focuses on the all round development of the follower and their close dynamic relations with the leader. This enables the follower to have a great sense of belonging and builds a level of trust and confidence in the democratic process, which is suitable for the follower to be a sound partaker in governance. Going by this, the Ekiti youth can be encouraged to be fully involved in the leadership process in a democracy, provided there is a level of an ongoing advantageous interdependent relationship between them and that established authority.

This is possible when there is an integrated effort between both parties, that is, the follower and the followed, to readily engage together in order to accomplish the common objectives and shared goals that are beneficial to the particular group; in order to realise this, the leader ensures that the follower is properly influenced by the core values that are critical to the success of him/her performance in the given role they are assigned in the group. The leader directs the affairs of the follower(s) by showing commitment to those important values that concern the progress of the collective; some of which are: having a keen sense of humility, showing empathy for others, maintaining some form of discipline, seeking what is right for the general good of the group, ready to show kindness in principles and actions, having a clear focus and purpose for the group on the well-being of the followers, and creating an atmosphere of peace in the group and ensuring that there is room for conflict resolution when the need arises. By imbibing these values, the followers will be prompted to impact and contribute vitally to the growth of the group. The leader also makes sure to develop an inter-personal relationship with the followers by showing the willingness and the ability to communicate his plans and visions for the group, showing self-motivation and trying not to be arrogantly confident when expressing views and ideas, having the courage to assign tasks without bias, encouraging planned and joint effort among the group, having good listening skills. These are the soft skills that will create an enhancement of mutual understanding and cooperation within the group environment.

For the Ekiti youth to adequately take up leadership roles in governance he/she must first of all, get accustomed to the spiritedness of a leader; that is, they must possess a degree of insight and good critical thinking skills, must be highly intuitive and imaginative, and most importantly be a good speaker and listener. Also, for Ekiti youths to be effective leaders, they must be ready to take calculated risks, think innovatively and in a creatively disruptive way, pursue opportunities essential to the organization, be good multi-taskers, and also have an ability to monitor and adopt new trends. To properly become a good leader the youths are also advised to focus on their goals and not get attached to any entity or being that could deliberately and inordinately exert their potential for exemplary leadership. This is pertinently found in this period of social media where online following for clout and popularity has replaced impressiveness and role-model leadership.

In all of these lukewarm showings, a heartening breakthrough is seen in the recently passed #NotTooYoungToRun bill that has presented a right platform aimed at the youths, which can support them to inclusively partake in the political process of leadership and governance; it is cheery to note that through this, they are being encouraged with the interest and ideas to engage in the proper management of affairs, planning and decision-making initiatives in the society. Understandably, then this opportunity will provide direction for youths in their quest for potent leadership, and by having the right motivation and incentives to take up leadership obligations, the youths of Ekiti will be very equipped to take part in the process of democratic governance such that him/her can uphold the rule of law, enforce human rights, participate in civic duties and deliver peaceful transfers of power through credible electoral processes.

*This article was first written for JKF annual essay.

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#InternationalMen'sDay

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Billionaire Late Bloomers, by Age of Breakthrough

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A year after #EndSARS: Remembering a protest that shook a country

Gbolaaa Ayo’

Image showing different scenes that occurred during #EndSARS protest. (File photo courtesy BBC)

The commemoration of the first anniversary of the October 2020 #EndSARS protest held in the past week. To digress a bit, looking back at that year, 2020 was a year of grave consequences which threw up countless surprises; and when HRM Queen Elizabeth II of England used the phrase “annus horribilis” denoting a horrible year to describe the year 1992, she probably could not have foreseen what was to be twenty-eight years later in 2020.

The events of the year 2020 was remarkable in a way and manner that would have been felt like borne out of a trend of unreal fantasies, because it was a year that flattered to deceive; with a forced lockdown occasioned by the global pandemic at the beginning of the year that caused a wave of uncertainties around the world leading to economic downturn and undue conditions, and this in turn creating heightened anxieties all over there was this inevitability of unrests due to fear of the unknown. Towards the end of that year, major protests erupted, brought about by widespread discontent in how the “system of things” had been unfolding. In that instance, the world decided to vent its anger against incidences of injustice and recurrent cases of police brutality.

And, right here in Nigeria, young people demonstrated against the nefarious activities of an abusive police unit known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), agitated for its disbandment and also called for end to every form of police brutality hence in a movement known as #EndSARS; which almost brought a country to its very foundations.

And absolutely what a protest of humongous magnitude it turned to be! The other day two friends were having a strong-felt conversation about the historic protest and the first remarked, “I could not in my wildest dreams ever have thought such could ever take place on the shores of Nigeria.” “Who told you?” the latter friend retorted rather rapidly and then exclaimed, “That protest had been a long time coming!” before adding that the ominous signs were there at the onset but those tasked with the responsibility of delivering when it counted did not rise to the challenge when they were called upon to act, and so it did happen.

Of course it was obvious that a ‘bomb of ballistic proportions’ was waiting to explode because it was evident youths had become disillusioned with the way things were going in their country. With known cases of overbearingness by security personnel that are supposed to protect, and no recourse to justice for the victims of their unjust actions, it was only a matter of time before the chicken came home to roost. The youths felt stretched to the elastic limit and reaching breaking point they decided to show their grievances by speaking up in one voice. There had always been assurances of reforms from the authorities following complaints about the illegal activities of the police especially its SARS unit, and all these seemed made on empty promises even after the anti-SARS movement was launched. When any meaningful commitment failed to materialise, the youths left without an alternative decided to troop out in numbers to unequivocally say we are fed up with the status quo and to demand sweeping changes from the government. But this time around, the government got the message loud and clear.

The extent of the protest and the wide-scale attention it got all over the world forced the government’s hand in acquiescing to the request of the protesters by disbanding the notorious SARS unit. But by now, the youths have become more emboldened having endured numerous false hopes, and going by the uncompromising actions of the authorities, the campaign became heated, morphing to further include a call for good governance and an end to all manners of reckless impunity in high places. The brazen display of chutzpah by the angry youths was met with forceful repulsion by those in power, while in a quick moment situations almost begun to run amok.

The level of carnage that ensued soon gave in to chaos and wanton destruction, and the resultant after-effect is still deeply felt as of now. While all this could have been averted if the authorities had taken pre-emptive measures in the first place, instead chose to play the ostrich and turned an indifferent eye to the plight of the young populace when it mattered most. What was even more distressing was the near denial of the government to the urgency of the situation when the protest began before becoming a great deal, not until the international community got involved.

This proves that the international community is ever more conscious of whatever is happening in the country and the reason cannot be remote. In this 21st century, the focus is on the ‘Dark Continent’ because Africa is increasingly getting attention more than ever due to its bulging human capital potential, and Nigeria which can boast of being the most populous black nation can provide a vibrant youth population. And so when that population which is supposed to be involved in contributing to the developmental growth of their country was up against those that were supposed to look out for them in times of great need, the world had to step in to ensure restoration of peace and order. The sheer efforts of the protesting youths and the various celebrities who championed the cause have been widely given the utmost commendation, for it was their unrelenting persistence that ensured that the movement still got going even in the face of disruptions by agents employed by state actors to give the campaign a bad outlook. The admirable duplication of efforts by the organisers seen from the pulling of resources-material or tangible- continued to give the needed vitality even while the government using duplicitous means tried to discredit them and continued to brutally clampdown on the protesters.

That was the point things began to get to a head and the momentum of the movement started to lose steam after making concrete gains. Even while the government already acceded to the disbandment of SARS, the youths were not still convinced enough not to agitate for a better reassurance of the future. They did not want a situation where they will be unnecessary profiled by security officials whenever they went about their daily livelihoods, and it was for this that they stood their ground before news filtered round that, on October 20, 2020, unarmed peaceful protesters were being unjustly shot, by armed military personnel at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos State, in a bid to disperse them. After many accusations and counter-accusations to that effect by all the parties involved, the whole affair brings up much to be desired in the relations between the authorities who wield instruments of power and the citizenries they are sworn to protect.

That Lekki Toll Gate incident which has served as a cluster case of the whole movement is still a cause of major contention arising from the mayhem unleashed on lives and other public and private property, after much concern was raised on who ordered the shootings. This has brought us to these present realities where a ground of distrust is brewing between the authorities and the populace, and there are indications of arrested protesters still cooling their heels in detention centres. The security apparatus is near collapse and insecurity is very rife across the country. Despite the mass disapproval against the untoward activities of the police, there are still reported cases of police harassment and unlawful extrajudicial activities in parts of the country.

But taking more retrospective considerations, the past issues that led to the backlash with the police are still the cause of the wayward acts of these officials who have been empowered to enforce the law and ensure the right carriage of justice. These issues like poor funding, lack of adequate welfare, and lack of quality equipment for efficient policing among others are still the factors stifling a proper and effective police. Most times the government can only promise reforms, but when they are not holistic and far-reaching, there cannot be much the police can do; because in the words of a former top-ranked police official, “policemen are no magicians.”

Altogether, the Nigerian Youths should be encouraged and not condemned for refusing to stand down and watch helplessly as they are meted with unfair treatment by officers of the law. The youths need guidance, not subjected to brute force by law enforcement officers whose primary duty is to defend human dignity and well-being; while man’s inhumanity to man has been a regular feature since the beginning of times, the police are called to preserve the rule of law that can engender trust and foster right relations among people in the society.

So the Nigerian youth deserves to be recognised for their perseverance in the face of opposition and persecution during that struggle, and even some who were not physically present at the protest grounds through the utilisation of the online and social media were supportive either way; it will even be more appropriate to memorialise the occasion by declaring the month of October as the International month of the Nigerian Youth, or even better still be awarded a ‘medal of freedom.’

Because the youths showed what can be achieved by the power of numbers instead of aggression, and for a people all too alienated from the scheme of things in their own country, they stood up not just against brutality by the police, but in demanding better governance from the authorities because they understood full well that it is only a government that respects rule of law, human rights and dignity of its citizens that can enforce a respectable police force and ultimately guarantee peace and development in the polity. Without this, the achievements of their impactful protests will not last. Uhmmmm, no it will not end.