ASUU Strike: Vice Chancellors Demand End To University Based Labour Unrest

BY TEMI OHAKWE, ABUJA – The Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), has called on the Federal and State Governments to break the unending circles of university-based labour unions unrest that had been going on for more than 30 years.

This was as they called for consistent Academic calender stressing that the Nigerian public Universities would not take their pride of place globally and regionally if the country cannot guarantee it academic schedules.

The Chairman of the Committee of the Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Professor Samuel Edoumiekumo, who stated the position of the committee at a meeting with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on issues affecting University education in Nigeria, said that as key stakeholders in the Nigerian University system, it was important that from time to time, both parties meet to discuss local and global best practices in University education, innovative ways of confronting and managing challenges and deep thinking on the future of the Nigerian university system.

Edoumiekumo, who was accompanied by the Secretary-General of the Committee, Professor Yakubu Ochefu, formally congratulated Prof Osodeke on his emergence as National President of ASUU and acknowledged the efforts of Academic staff with regards to championing the repositioning of University higher education in Nigeria.

According to Prof Edoumiekumo; “There is the need for the Federal and State governments to take the bull by the horn to break the unending circles of university-based labour unions unrest that had been going on for more than 30 years by thinking creative solutions and resolving politically to implement such solutions”.

He x-rayed some of the current challenges facing university education in Nigeria such as poor funding, and issues of autonomy of universities amongst others.

He further said; “Our universities are faced with very poor funding such that a gap of 221 billion naira has been incurred yearly from 2018 to 2021; problems associated with the implementation of IPPIS in Federal Universities; Autonomy of Universities, and the presence of several conflicting laws; the current status of the FG/University-based unions’ agreements; the lingering problem with the unions on IPPIS; and the poor state of security on university campuses”.

The Chairman presented a report produced by CVCNU on the “Review of 2022 National Budget as it affects Nigerian Federal Universities” to the ASUU that highlights some of the thinking on addressing the funding challenges in Nigerian Universities.

Edoumiekumo said his committee, in its fight against plagiarism and promoting originality in academic research, developed the EagleScan Plagiarism Detection Software.

He stated that like the University Transparency Accountability Software (UTAS), Eaglescan was developed by the CVCNU in conjunction with Directors of ICT of six Nigerian Universities and was now fully ready for adoption in all Nigerian Tertiary Institutions.

The CVCNU Chairman also shared with ASUU the draft of a Model Intellectual Policy for Nigerian Universities, developed in conjunction with the Nigerian Copy Right Commission and requested to have ASUU’s inputs before the final draft is presented to universities in 2022.

 In his remarks, the National President of ASUU, Professor Victor Osodeke applauded the leadership of CVCNU for initiating the meeting and expressed the desire of the Union to work with all genuine actors that will add value and make Nigerian universities better.

Osodeke lamented that a gulf had emerged in CVCNU/ASUU relations in recent times but was pleased by the meeting which he hoped would go a long way in forging closer ties

The ASUU President he noted all the issues raised by the CVCNU Chairman adding that appropriate response would be communicated to the Committee in due course.

He expressed deep appreciation for the meeting and looked forward to both organizations working together to reposition Nigerian universities in these volatile, unstable, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) times.

Osodeke said; “I look forward to a meeting between ASUU and CVCNU in the first quarter of 2022 to discuss the broader issues raised by the CVCNU.

“Vice-Chancellors are very critical stakeholders in the University system, but that over the years, many of them have seen their roles and powers eroded by third party bodies leaving them to function as political office holders rather than University administrators,”.

He expressed worry about the politicization in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors and how in some instances, the choice of who becomes a VC is narrowed down to the Local Government of the State that the University was located.

The meeting was attended by former ASUU Presidents namely; Dipo Fasina, Nasir Fagge, Biodun Ogunyemi and other members of the National Executive Committee.