Anguish after strike

By Gabriel Dike, Gyang Bere (Jos), Obinna Odogwu (Awka), Lateef Dada (Osogbo) and Felix Ikem (Nsukka).

That the Nigeria University System (NUS) is a mess is given. Staff claim their monthly take-home pay can no longer take them home. Workers described the past eight months as hellish.

They hanged the blame on the Federal Government who withheld their salaries for embarking on strike early this year. Some of them went borrowing to survive.

Even the non-teaching staff that suspended their strike four months ago have not been paid.

Government made matters worse for lecturers when it paid them half of their salaries in October. Worried by government action, the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) directed branches to begin a protest rally on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 to express their displeasure.

Some members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian University (SSANU) UNILAG branch, in September 2022 protested against the suspension of the strike. They queried their leaders for achieving nothing before calling off the strike.

Payment of the seven months’ salaries was one of the main reasons ASUU suspended their eight-month industrial action on October 14. Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, insisted that “no work, no pay” policy has been invoked.

The non-teaching staff suspended their industrial action some months back and had expected government would pay the outstanding salaries. ASUU after eight months suspended its strike and members looked forward to being paid the outstanding salaries.

Former Secretary General, Committee of Vice Chancellors (CVC), Prof. Michael Faborode, said there was no agreement nor Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government and ASUU to end the strike: “But we expected that there was enough understanding to settle the matter and secure lasting peace.

“Apparently, the government is not living up to that. What we have in the schools now is a peace of the graveyard. It’s not sustainable. But it seems the government had given up on itself. So sad for the country.’’

Former National Treasurer of ASUU, Prof. Ademola Aremu, told The Education Report: “Since members resumed lectures, they have been working with empty stomachs. How will the government unleash hungry lecturers to go into the classrooms?

“We are working with guns pointed at our heads. Hungry lecturers can’t give their best in the classroom.’’

Chairperson, ASUU University of Jos chapter, Dr. Lazarus Maigoro, said: “It is not good at all. Till now government has not paid us our salaries. I have always said that there is the issue of trust deficit between our union and the government. The government said they were going to pay us salary if we suspend the strike. But they have not done that and our members cannot go to work.

“Everybody devices means of taking care of his family. We know it was going to be a very long struggle and so we were prepared for it. But now that we have suspended the strike, students are on ground and we cannot go to work because we don’t have transportation.

“As we speak, they are selling fuel N250 per liter. We have not been paid for seven months. How do we find our way to school?”

The situation was not different with the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria University (SSANU). Chairman of UNIJOS chapter, Mr. Anthony Joro said: “Let me start by thanking God for the grace given to our members to survive the strike without salaries. Physically and health-wise, we didn’t lose any member.

“We have been surviving the hard way. Some had to go out and lend from their families to assist.  The union also arranged some welfare packages for our members until we were exhausted. Since the strike was ‘no work, no pay’, our members went through pains to survive.

“Up till now that the strike is suspended, government has not paid. That is where the government has not fulfilled its own parts of the agreement. Only one month was paid since our resumption.”

At Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, a lecturer in the Department of Technology and Vocational Education, Gabriel Alonta, said: “It has been a mixed feelings for me because what I actually yearned for was to discharge my responsibility. So, I was short-changed by the strike.

“Concerning the non-payment of our salaries, because I am a youth, it has not been that bad for me. I also have to explore many options and work harder to keep myself going.

‘’I wouldn’t say that it really affected me as a person. But I actually feel for those who have their wards in school; husband and wife who both work in the university. It means that their major sources of income are affected.

“While I try as much as possible to make ends meet, on the other hand, you also consider your colleagues who cry out. I consider the students too who are equally affected by the strike.” Chairman of SSANU, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Taiwo Arobadi, said: “We approached the bank to get some loans. It is a pity that government pushed us to go and borrow to survive. Already, we signed an agreement that we should give them two months and the period ended Wednesday. Nothing has happened till now. Though we are not planning to go back on strike, that is why we gave them another two months hoping that they will do the needful.”

Chairman of ASUU, OAU, Dr. Adeola Egbedokun, said: “We are intellectuals and we are very familiar with situations like this. The story of how members did cope during the strike varied. The evil government ensured we were starved for eight months. Not just ASUU members were made to go through this horrifying experience, our family members were made to suffer during this period of eight months.

“In terms of coping, many of our members had to borrow from relatives, banks and other sources. Others relied on charity. The union at the branch and national had to provide little palliatives to members. It must also be stressed that many of our members had to leave the system because of the treatment from this evil government.”

An executive member of SSANU, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Moses Akata, said: “Staff members had to devise other means to survive and meet up with their daily needs for the main time. Truly it has not been easy. The situation is unusual because we have been living from hand to mouth all this while.

“Most of our colleagues are sick and hospitalised. Our children have been sent out of school, landlords are on us as a result of expired rents. Our aged parents and other dependents have lost hope.”

A senior lecturer, Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, UNN, Mr. Saint Ngwoke, said: “It has not been easy. As a family man you are expected to continue to provide for your family not minding that your salary is not being paid.

“Again, you are faced with other reoccurring domestic bills including school fees and health bills. It has been a terrible situation coupled with rising costs of living these days.

“As for how I am surviving the situation since February, it is simply by divine provisions. The reason is that I can’t say that this is exactly what I have been doing to make ends meet.

“But I practically have been able to see myself meeting every need. It is nothing but divine provision. God has been very faithful and I return all the glory to him.”