*Asks ‘What Has Happened To Lecturers’ Check-Off Dues?’
*Lashes At ASUU, Says They Are Inconsiderate Of Parents And Children
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The Chairman of State Universities Pro-Chancellors, Yusuf Ali SAN has reacted to the indefinite strike decision of ASUU, calling it an unfortunate event that has led to the poverty, intellectual poverty as well as poverty of materials which is all as result of the inconsiderate nature of ASUU.
In an interview with the Tribune online newspaper, Ali SAN answered and raised pertinent questions, remarking on the significant effect of the strike on parents, students, private as well as state universities and the country generally.
On What his view, was on the effects of ASUU’s indefinite strike on students, parents, state universities and the nation, the learned silk stated in clear terms that it was an unfortunate event which was as a result of ASUU demanding payments for 6 months of no work, which according to the learned silk was absolutely inconsiderate as there was no where in the world were unions are paid for not working. He highlighted that the procedure was that during strike, unions paid members from the check-off dues paid by members to the union, to this end Ali SAN demanded to know what happened to the check-off dues lecturers have being paying ASUU for the past decade?
He stated that the effect of the indefinite strike would result in students turning to a life of crime and immorality, reasoning that even after resumption is not going to be the same ever again even in ability to absorb learning. According to Ali SAN the strike had effect on the society at large; resulting in limited to access of education as a result of the availability of only private and state universities with limited capacity, and in the end resulting in parents sending their children to countries like Ghana. On the general effect on Nigeria, the silk stated thus: For the larger society, or Nigeria itself, it is a serious loss when able-bodied young men and women are allowed to roam the streets. It opens the door for all sorts of negative influence. And of course, it is Nigeria that would pay for it in terms of banditry, kidnapping and insurgency as an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”
This according to the Senior Advocate was just the tip of the iceberg as Nigeria was bound to lose its competitiveness as well as human capital development, and in addition to this, there exist rippling effects on almost every business in the Society; sellers, cleaners, owners of private hostels.
Speaking on Lecturers being affected by the strike too, the Learned silk pointed out that if one didn’t intend to work, how then can they intend to be paid. “If you don’t work, do you expect to get paid? We should draw a lesson from the private sector. If my colleagues in this office, for whatever reason, say they are going on strike, where would I get the money to pay them? If workers of Dangote say they boycott their jobs, will anybody pay them? Not going too far, if those engaged by private universities say they are going on strike, will they be paid? Must we just be wasting money because it is public money, when all over the world, when workers down tools, they don’t get paid? It only happens here. People think it is a right to be paid for the period they don’t work.” He said.
He went on further to state that it is time that ASUU call for students to pay commensurate fees, stating that it is not realistic for persons to pay 30,000 for education per session. He said thus: “How do you now say people should come to federal universities and be paying N30,000 when the cost of training a graduate in the average is more than N2 million? Why can’t we be realistic? I think what ASUU should be talking about is bringing back the issue of students’ loans and bursaries.” To buttress this point, he stated that even in the US not everybody can afford education, referencing that Bill Clinton had to school in England because his mom couldn’t afford the fees of American schools.
Remarking on the intent of planned meeting with Pro-Chancellors and Vice Chancellors of Varsities with the government, Ali SAN said thus: “I think they should chart a way forward. It is not every lecturer that doesn’t want to work. I think they should encourage those who want to go back to work. And this is a good time for the government to register other unions. This is a democratic dispensation. This is a union. You can’t force everybody to belong to a union. It is even undemocratic. Choices differentiate democracy from other forms of government; the ability to make a choice, whether to go right or left or remain static. Once you take the choices away, then you are taking away a fundamental part of democracy and freedom.”
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