ASUU Demand: A Reflection of Nigeria

It is unfortunate that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is capable of demanding and insisting that its members should be paid without rendering any service worth remunerating by the government. The argument goes that besides teaching, members of ASUU conduct research and render community services, therefore they should be paid at the expense of students, parents and more importantly the law.

How the ‘secret’ services ASUU members offered while on strike compensate for the pains inflicted on students and their parents is a moot question. The obvious illogicality of the proposition of getting paid for work not done and its disdain for the Law insult our collective intelligence and portray us as fantastically corrupt. Who is not convinced that the Labour Act’s provision of ” No work, no pay ” promotes peaceful industrial relations? One cannot but wonder how ASUU, a union of intellectuals arrived at the thought processes that could without shame insist that the government pay for services it did not receive. What values do such a stance project and promote?

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The audacity of ASUU to make such an outrageous demand derives from the pitiable state of morals and the pervading systemic corruption of the polity. Nigeria has become a country where anything goes; with no restraints whatsoever. If it favours personal aggrandisement then to hell with morals and the law.

There is no limit to the extent supporters of ASUU have not gone to justify perfidy. It is commonly argued that the government is wrong to start the correct implementation of the Labour Act on ” no work no pay” with ASUU. We ask, when is the wrong time to do the right thing?

Some other supporters of ASUU are quick to point to pervading corruption and greed of politicians as justification for the demand for pay without commensurate work done. It is argued that our legislators are handsomely paid for doing nothing, therefore it is not out of place for university lecturers to be paid for keeping students at home. This kind of warped reasoning can only be given by a people despondent of hope. If you can not defeat them you join them in sharing the national booty.

Like Nigeria, like ASUU. Embarrassing!