The year 2010 was a blessing to some people while to others, particularly students, it was a setback for their academics. The protracted strike action paralysed the nation’s education sector and between July and December 2010, academic activities in most Nigerian institutions faced challenges ever than before.
The struggle began on 22 July, 2010 when varsity workers under the aegis of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) embarked on an indefinite strike in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria.
Some of the institutions affected are Cross Rivers State University of Technology, Anambra State University, Enugu State University, Abia State University and Eboyin State University among others.
The Unions used the strike to sympathise with their members in state owned institutions which government have refused to implement the agreement signed on the development of the university system in year 2000.
By October 2010, some institutions in South West also joined their counterparts in the struggle to liberate themselves from what they termed “government lackadaisical attitude to education.” For instance, all Lagos State owned institutions; Lagos State Polytechnic, Lagos State University, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education went on strike over government's failure to meet the workers’ demand.
The Lagos State University’s case was worsened by the National University Commission (NUC)'s disaccreditation of about 10 courses in the school. The situation raised uproar, which later led to calls for the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lateef Hussien’s removal.
The strike became worrisome to students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) following the ownership tussle between Governor Adebayo Alao Akala of Oyo State and the ousted Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State.
For several weeks, the school was closed down and academic activities were paralysed.
The Olabisi Onabanjo University’s case was very pathetic one. Their agitation is the same but more complex. The lecturers alleged that Governor Gbenga Daniel owes them 25per cent of total arrears of monetised salaries and 90 per cent of total arrears of CONUASS. They also alleged that the governor owes about 32per cent of July and 37per cent of October 2009 salaries. According to the aggrieved lecturers, the governor failed to pay full salaries of August and September, 2009 and 50per cent of 2010.
The strike has definitely affected the academic calendar. Students who are expected to complete their programmes would now wait for another semester. The outcome of the strike was the declaration made by JAMB disallowing universities in souteast Nigeria from admitting students in the new academic session, having lost six months of the academic calendar to the strike. A question thus arises: what will be the fate of prospective students who have chosen the affected schools?
While many institutions, including Lagos State-owned institutions, have suspended their strike, Campus Square checks revealed that Olabisi Onabanjo University is yet to call-off the strike. The Students’ Union Government of the institution declared last week, 5 January, as resumption date just as Lagos State university did, but resumption date is not certain.
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