Systematic Demeaning of Nigerian Lecturers -By Andrew A. Erakhrumen
Our pricey nation, not named Nigeria by us, might not be a nation but within the truest sense. However, it’s predominantly inhabited, undoubtedly, by good people who find themselves largely nonetheless communal even – utilizing paraphrased phrases of Michael Peel – as they’ve been oppressed for many years by dictatorship, poverty and corruption, thus making them to domesticate a tricky and canny survivalist perspective that’s an comprehensible and typically admirable response to circumstance. Regardless of the talked about “goodness” of odd Nigerians, the stark actuality regarding their ruling elites, collectively, is one depicting contradictions within the type of uncooked wickedness to these they’re supposed to guide (rule?). Extra usually, these contradictions seem to have arisen from unexplainable supply(s) however can’t be delinked from years of dictatorship accompanied by poverty and corruption of the thoughts. As we speak, with an abundance of residents with shiny minds, inside and overseas, Nigeria is sadly saddled with teams of individuals masquerading as leaders in rudderless ships. These individuals, undeserving of any respect, don’t consider in Nigeria besides their pockets and the place they intend escaping to, in case of any damaging incidence in our nation. Nigeria, to them, is only a mere geographical entity to be plundered!
In fact, the state of affairs being painted just isn’t distinctive to individuals in energy right now. It has all the time been! The small distinction is that this present group has taken mediocrity in energy to a different sore degree “enviable” to their predecessors. In reality, they’re so clueless to the extent, as normal, of declaring battle in opposition to intelligentsia/intellectuals that they’re presupposed to collaborate with in growing the nation. That is clear proof that they don’t care in regards to the nation they declare to be main. For instance, how do you clarify the state of affairs whereby these known as ruling elites detest the academia and teachers to the purpose that the college lecturers are subjected to all manners of remedy worse than being described as demeaning? These are the identical ruling (ruining?) elites all the time mouthing totally different slogans indicating that Nigeria wants improvement. We all know they’re insincere however allow us to simply say they aren’t, so as to ask them how they wish to develop the nation with out the intelligentsia/intellectuals they’re shortly glad to demean. Are they eager about understanding how the nations they “take off” to for remedy of headache and ear drawback reached the place they’re by way of improvement? It might sound unbelievable, however it’s true, that this authorities, that detest intelligentsia/intellectuals, has no reliable plan to develop its residents relatively they like to maintain them below perpetual domination.
The bitter fact, that we’re in a large number or “one likelihood bus” as generally mentioned on Lagos’ streets, should be instructed. If we aren’t in a large number, how can we clarify the withholding of college lecturers’ wage for a number of months as a result of they dared to embark on industrial dispute with Nigerian authorities so as to insist that (authorities) carry into fruition the Agreements freely entered into by way of collective bargaining? What are the contents of those Agreements? In easy phrases, these are the highlights: (i) Nigerian teachers in public universities need these universities revitalised with public funds for higher efficiency (ii) These teachers are asking for his or her earned educational allowances being owed them by authorities, cumulatively working into some billions, for years (iii) Lecturers in public universities need governments to arrange visitation panels to have a look at how these universities are being run (iv) Nigerian public universities lecturers additionally need the collectively reached Agreements, in 2009, meant to be re-negotiated each three years, efficiently re-negotiated, for the primary time for the reason that Agreements have been reached and (v) Public college lecturers/students developed a College Transparency and Accountability Answer for the aim which the diversionary, unlawful, corrupt and anti-university autonomy cost platform generally known as Built-in Personnel and Payroll Info System was meant.
For embarking on this patriotic wrestle, the federal government withheld the “recalcitrant” lecturers’ salaries for 3 months, firstly, between February and April, 2020 and 5 months from July to November, 2020. It’s an understatement to say that this authorities’s motion is callous. In annoying smart ears, a minister on this Federal Authorities was quoted to have mentioned that the funds to lecturers in federal universities, in Might and June, 2020, have been made on compassionate grounds! Are you able to think about this unpardonable fake pas? Since when did one’s rightful earnings change into what are given on compassionate grounds? How else ought to opportunistic charlatans in authorities be outlined? Authorities, a disputant in an industrial disaster, is shouting “no work, no pay”. We have been anticipating the federal government to have approached a reliable courtroom on this regard as threatened by considered one of its ministers however for unknown cause(s) they shied away. The federal government, maybe for lack of sound recommendation, adorned itself with a vestment that concurrently portrayed it as an accuser, decide and executioner of judgement. That is laughable to a recent regulation undergraduate scholar simply coming into the college from secondary faculty. Sincerely, as soon as once more, governance in our nation has been taken to very low ebb.
Owing to this uncertain competence in governance, Nigerians are at the moment erroneously perceived as unserious individuals and consequently we have now change into a laughing inventory on varied platforms throughout the worldwide circle. The federal government propagandists are completely conscious of this actuality however are nonetheless attempting to fulfill their paymasters by churning out apparent lies on each day foundation, attempting to cover behind one finger. As this text is being written, the whole, complete and indefinite strike embarked upon by public college lecturers, for the reason that 23rd of March, 2020, had, once more, been suspended efficient on the 24th of December, 2020 because of their acceptance of Agreements reached with authorities on the 22nd December, 2020. That is, definitely, excellent news to all. Nonetheless, it should be placed on report that there are among the objects within the Agreements nonetheless current within the realm of the standard promissory notes given by a authorities that has misplaced vital goodwill by way of being trusted by many Nigerians on the subject of guarantees from them (authorities). Certainly, they’re jocularly described, by many Nigerians, as authorities with “All Guarantees Cancelled”. Hardly can this authorities and its brokers be held by their phrases between morning and night of a day. It’s that pathetic regarding their trustworthiness!
All the identical, as mutually agreed to, a part of the withheld earnings (that they known as salaries) has been paid to some lecturers leaving others’ out for as a lot as 9 months arrears! A few of us are, due to this fact, nonetheless watching proceedings with justifiable scepticism. To place it merely, utilizing Nigerian pidgin parlance, “we nonetheless dey shine our eyes” so as “to consciously and diligently monitor the implementation of the Agreements of twenty-twond December, 2020 in all of the branches”. This interplay is not going to finish till a response to some feedback, on a social media platform is quoted nearly verbatim. The response considerations a video of a Nigerian college lecturer – a Senior Lecturer – who took to Gaari processing, in the course of the strike, so as to survive the cruel monetary and financial situation she encountered owing to wage stoppage for lecturers who complied absolutely with the collectively agreed place of members of the Union for intellectuals. Whereas we had vigorously argued up to now that partaking in agriculture and related worth chain actions just isn’t solely honourable but in addition a veritable means in the direction of reaching monetary and financial empowerment, nonetheless, the next quoted feedback was aimed, by the author, at addressing the clearly observable authorities’s age-long properly orchestrated intent of intentionally demeaning Nigerian teachers who are usually not their pals and people which can be. It went thus:
“Comrades, the depiction within the video could be very pathetic however probably not new! Worse situations have been skilled, regarding this type of remedy of teachers, within the mid/late 80s and 90s, below the navy juntas. Nonetheless, what a few of us couldn’t come to phrases with is the truth that “elected civilians” – within the twenty first century – will intentionally progressively “debase” college students to the extent of begging and borrowing to feed themselves and dependants. That is unbelievably actual! That is an absurdity! This nation has step by step however sadly misplaced its soul! This actually tells us the place we’re, right now, as a individuals, when different nations’ residents and their leaders are holding their teachers as eggs. Walter Rodney wrote that Africa turned an under-developing area due to the impacts of Europe. However, with the best way Nigeria and Nigerians are treating their college students, I believe we’re, sadly, not on the degree of under-development Rodney painfully wrote about in 1972”.
In reality, we have now severely degenerated beneath what Europe left us with on the daybreak of their so-called “independence”. This opinion could set off never-ending arguments amongst totally different faculties of thought however it’s protected to say that Nigeria and Nigerians ought to discontinue deceiving themselves that they’ve a growing nation. With our expertise since March, 2020, this Senior Lecturer’s resort to processing Gaari to outlive monetary and financial crunch could be very a lot prone to be only a “tip of the iceberg”. We must always not deceive ourselves as issues could worsen in future! Subsequently, we should always see the present realities as battle in opposition to college lecturers and consequently brace up for extra (avoidable) future struggles. Even after they could have paid what they name “withheld salaries” they are going to nonetheless go forward with the battle, so be prepared! It is because these I all the time be part of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti to name Vagabond in Energy see ASUU [Academic Staff Union of Universities] as the one frontier to be conquered of their everlasting quest to enslave Nigerians. We, in ASUU, positively, shall overcome with correct methods”
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