I have been on the table of observation trying to decipher the major notion behind the ‘no pay, no work’ industrial action you all embarked upon in the middle of March, this year. I was privileged to be on the know of the bargains between the Academic Staff of Kogi State University, and the Yahaya Bello led Kogi government. This leads me to introduce myself as ‘a concerned student’ of the institution.
At the commencement of this strike, I got a copy of the memo distributed to lecturers, and the last paragraph caught my attention. It was purely a disclaimer distancing the action from political influence. A friend who read the memo with me, was about agreeing with the allegations of political motivation, but I quickly weakened his position with the fact that “lecturers are owed, it is their sweat, they must be paid”.
As the struggle began, I made sure I was never left out of credible information. Like you taught me, we need to be informed. I had every minute of the meetings between the school management and the government; ASUU and the government; and even the one between the Students Unions (SUG/NAKOSS) and Hon Edward Onoja, the Chief of Staff to the Governor. During these meetings, the governor promised to pay your backlog salaries, and even pleaded on behalf of the students, but you turned him down with the reason that “politicians cannot be trusted again”. I respected your response based on my experience from last ASUU six months nationwide strike, which I and others also suffered.
At some point, an obvious supporter of the govt took me aback to see reasons why he personally suspects a political undertone in several futile meetings you have had with the Governor, but I silenced him with the question, “are my lecturers not owed?” Any grapevine you give that bomb question would definitely kowtow to the fact that my lecturers need to be paid their salaries. Meanwhile, they are not the only ones owed backlogs.
Now to the reality, I’ve supported my lecturers to a point I have considered wholeheartedly to match my brake. This is the point they have really shown the true nature of the kangaroo industrial action I bought into. For God sake, how possible is it that respected academicians have stopped so low to be towed by the wind of politics to the detriment of the students, even their children. Now, I would have to reason with those who I silenced their positions.
Former Governor Idris Wada owed the bulk of this debt. This is no blame game, but an analysis. Of course I know Government is hereditary, so are debts. While piling up about four months debts, ASUU never saw reasons to issue a warning to the government of Wada. Yahaya Bello was inaugurated on January 27th, and just a month later, ASUU heralded her 21 days strike ultimatum. This is actually a fishy act, but I had turned a blind eye to it. Then what is the essence now.
Government has commenced payment of salaries, and I am so confident to say that, KSU lecturers got preferential treatment, than other civil servants could imagine. They were first to receive a full four months salary, as against five. Every Kogite knows that a buck of civil servants are still hoping to receive the 60% salary some of their colleagues have received.
To me and my fellow students, we were so hopeful that the over two months old strike was about to see an end, not until the news of the yet to be publicised continuity broke our hearts. Are we saying that the government has not tried to a considerable extent? One month salary hinged on “some other reason” is why those who graduated last year cannot go for service. That is why people like me will obviously not graduate this year again. That is still why prospective students of the institution will have their admission delayed relatively. What have we done to deserve this punishment? You were so fast to compare KSU with schools in Edo. Maybe you should count how many other Edos we have in this economy.
Dr Aina, the ASUU Chairman, is one who I know in Chapel of Restoration as one of the lecturers Evangelist Tokunbo Salami would vouch for, but with what I have on my analytical desk, stories must be left for the gods. My lecturers lived on loans from cooperatives before their payment. I understand that the loans have been withdrawn already from their salary, and left with not much to take them. Is that new??? Primary school teachers are passing through worse situations.
To this end, I am still yet to draw my conclusion on what kind of altar you are delaying our destiny. I do not care anymore when you will go back to the drawing board to take the point where you all got it wrong.
I am sure if this article is an assignment, you may score me low. But this is my personal appraisal, courtesy what you taught me in class.
– A Concerned Student.
* Kogi Reports
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