The nation's jaundiced education system may continue to suffer setbacks if the grouses of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are left being treated with levity.According to ASUU, the decision to go on strike may be the last option in its labour arsenal, to compel the Federal Government to accede to its requests of implementing the 2009 agreement between the two parties.Among others, ASUU is demanding for university autonomy, academic freedom, enforcement of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's recommended allocation of 26 percent of annual budgets to education, out of which 50 percent should be allocated to higher education and representation of the Federal Ministry of Education on the board of the Revenue Allocation, Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), to ensure that education is on the First Charge.Others are the returning of the Education Trust Fund to Tertiary Education Fund (which has partially been implemented), payment of earned allowances and the amendment of the retirement age of academics on the professorial cadre, from 65 to 70 years and to stop brain drain.ASUU claimed to have written over 50 letters, held over 200 meetings with different government representatives and agencies and staged over 10 warning strikes and had declared indefinite strike, to press home its demand.The first phase of the agreement, which should have taken three operational years (2009-2012), has almost lapsed without implementation and the inability of the two parties to broker peace that is needed to move the nation's educational system forward, as absence of this has contributed in no small measure, to the misfortunes that had befallen this critical sector of the country.Without sounding pessimistic, it is not a hidden fact that our universities are bogged down by problems of brain drain, infrastructural decay, inadequate funding, shortage of manpower and policy inconsistency. Despite the concerted efforts made by previous governments to revamp the country's educational system, not much has been achieved, to make a meaningful impact and the much-needed turn-around. That is the bone of contention of ASUU.At the end of an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, held recently at the University of Abuja, ASUU observed that it is urgent to 'restore Nigerian universities, through immediate, adequate and sustained financial intervention and to ensure genuine university autonomy and academic freedom,' and may, therefore, go on strike by November 22, if its demands are not met.We should ask why has government been accused of failing to honour its agreement with ASUU' Answers to this question may not be farfetched. The first factor, as observed by Professor Nuhu Yaqub, in his paper, 'The Brain Drain Phenomenon in Nigeria and the Struggle by ASUU to Redress It', averred that the Union is perceived as 'not taking into cognizance of the state of the economy and, therefore, its demands are always unrealistic'.From this assumption, members of ASUU have been seen as being too demanding and difficult with their myriad of demands. So, it is more of a case of academic radicalism rather than being seen as clamouring for legitimate cause.Secondly, there appears to be frequent changes in leadership in our education system. Over the last 30 years or so, when the persistent calls for the revamping of our universities were pronounced, the relevant ministries had experienced a high turnover of ministers, permanent secretaries and other public servants, who played key roles in the planning and execution of resolutions with ASUU. It is regrettable that political office holders appear to be more interested in introducing new policies and programmes - even when they are not sustainable - during their tenure in office rather than sustain the existing ones ' just to score a political point ' at the expense of the nation's development.
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