Nigeria in peculiar mess – penkelemesi – Part 2

Recently, President Bola Tinubu directed the grant of an exceptional waiver of “No Work, No Pay” order on ASUU, which will allow for the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four(4) months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary which was withheld during the eight – month industrial action undertaken by the union. Good as it may sound the caveat of finality on the subject is worrisome and by it I am persuaded that Mr. President has not been adequately briefed on the twist and turns of the industrial face-off that made it protracted for eight months.

For the records, the strike began when President Buhari’s government was unwilling to sign an agreement reached after a collective bargaining by three successive committees of government and ASUU led separately by Dr. Wale Babalakin, Professor Munzali Jibril and finally, Professor Nimi Briggs. The federal government with Dr. Chris Ngige as the arrow head proceeded to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

The court has since pronounced judgment on the issues. On the key issue of IPPIS as payment platform the Court said: “I declare the Claimants (FGN) acted in error to impose IPPIS on the defendant union (ASUU). The issue of which payment platform is to be used in paying the salaries or wages of staff of the Universities is one that is within the discretion of individual Councils of the Universities in line with the autonomy granted them by the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act 2003”.

The Federal Government is yet to implement this grand ruling in favour of ASUU. The continued use of IPPIS as payment platform is doing incalculable damage to seamless running of the University to the extent that staff recruitment exercise has been hamstrung. Many Universities now have inverted pyramidal structure in distribution of academic staff by cadre, unable to secure approval from Finance Ministry for recruitment when expedient. In light of the foregoing what is called for is reopening of discussions on the agreement with ASUU cognizant that there may be need to review the salary component in line with current inflationary realities.

On the same score, the president exercising his prerogative of mercy may wish to direct full payment of withheld 8-month salaries of members of the Union. There is also the moot issue of earned academic allowances for which the FGN in its 2023 Appropriation earmarked N50 billion as announced by the then Finance Minister. Yet, this has not been paid for inexplicable reason.

In all of this, I made bold to say that since the end of the first Republic we have not had visionary leaders in the mold of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello. It must be admitted that the fledging first Republic had its challenges as expected of a budding State, as aptly highlighted by Awolowo in his letter to Major –General Aguiyi Ironsi: “ One of the monsters which menaced the public life of the country up to January 14 this year (1966) is OPPORTUNISM with its attendant evils of jobbery, venality, corruption and unabashed self –interest——- a truly public-spirited person should accept public office not for what he can get for himself – such as the profit and glamour of office – but for the opportunity which it offers him of serving his people to the best of his ability, by promoting their welfare and happiness”(March 28,1966).

The compelling question: can this system of governance produce for us a visionary leader? I doubt. The political leadership recruitment process is a game of rugby – rough, tough and seemingly crazing to the exclusion of men and women averse to roughness. It is not surprising that over the years, distinguished men and women of character, integrity and competence have shied away from partisan politics. A few including human rights activists have dared it but were rebuffed. Chief Awolowo was right – it’s all about opportunism, exacerbated by a centripetal governance structure.

Nigeria, a tapestry of multi-nationalities, cannot by governed on the tenets of the 1999 Constitution without the frustration and despondency now being experienced by the citizens. It has to be reset on a different governance paradigm through an entirely new Constitution.

Herein lies the merit in the persistent calls by Statesmen – Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Chief Edwin Clark, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Professor Wole Soyinka – and many others , some now late, notably the indefatigable Chief Anthony Eromosele Enahoro for a return to true federalism, to ensure decentralization of powers and responsibilities to the constituents, the states as federating units. I am persuaded that this is a worthy course of action, and in the spirit of renewed hope, President Tinubu would urgently need to embrace it and courageously activate the processes for a new Constitution.

Concluded

Professor Eromosele is Former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.