Monday 27 June 2016

The Challenge Before ASUU, State and the Students Unions - Ogiri Cosmos

Another challenge to my fellow students. Comrades, I want to intimate us that light has been seen at the end of the tunnel. What is left for us to time and calculated steps to reach the tail end.

I want to thank the Vice Chancellor of Kogi State University, the DVC academic and administration for their collective roles as mediators and solicitors.

Thanks to SD Musa (DVC) for his wisdom, fatherly and reciprocal respect earned over time.

These men have in one way or the other played a very crucial roles in this ASUU/State issue, the last but not the least is the meeting with all the Deans and HODs in Kogi State University. I want the students I represent to appreciate their efforts as we pray they correct the lapses noticed so far and continue to lobby that we may go back to class as prophesied.

I am so happy the students number one representative used his Facebook timeline to communicate the journey thus far to the students. In that episode, he tried his best to tell the efforts of the Students Union Government so far even as many are yet to feel the manifest. It is no news that he was ordinarily truthful about the numerous visitation he made to various establishments in his sincere bids of felicitating the prompt resumption of students.

They have been diverse opinions about Kogi State University ASUU strike. It should be recalled that in my last episode I reported that I discovered and believe that Kogi State University Lecturers have been patronized and are passionate about the wholesome impartation of academic and awesome character training to students then MONEY but for the arrogance and misuse of unguided dictates from the State government and its commissioner.

Well, the obvious played out in the ASUU Congress held yesterday as it all fall through my prediction as the above.

The lecturers who before the ASUU meeting where so happy to pass a verdict that will bring about the reunion of the lecturers and the students met with a brutal clash of ego. The State (commissioner) yet again misused words garnished with unguided and unprecedented statements COMMANDING and threatening the lecturers to resume a face a no work no pay action.

Did you notice anything? The ego, left the lecturers with no choice but to ask what special as the government or his commissioner done to the striking lecturers to merit the use of force and threat.

Let me inform you that it was not only KSU lecturers that was paid the four months salaries as a tertiary institute but yet it is KSU ASUU that made the dailies with their no pay no work industrial action. So what special treatment have you giving to warrant "insults" to them.

The issue with the youths (below 41 years) is that we fail to Look into history when we make policies.

Is this the first time government is issuing such threats or rather embarking on a "no work no pay" industrial action?

No!

What happened in the past, students suffered obvious setbacks and the state ended up paying 100% of their salaries before they came back to class. This happened during the time of an Igala man as the state Governor and FS Idachaba (blessed memory) as the Vice Chancellor.

To sake striking civil servants, prove of served quarries for three times must be shown. Then let me take you back to history one more time, ask questions and to astonished what happened to University of Ilorin but for sabotage and betrayals. Unilorin today are not members of ASUU, are they beneficiaries of ASUU today? Thank God for their state government haven learned their lesson through the hard way.

How problem is that we are quick to take sides based on immediate reactions. ASUU has refused to play to the gallery that's why we not getting enough information from them. That is why we are quick to point accusing fingers to them believing that the State government is taking their plights serious.

Last week a member of the NAKOSS was seriously challenging students in fierce argument that the State governor is not taking ASUU demands seriously, that he is a joker full of himself and that they will never let a non igala man assume any leadership position in Kogi State. But within the short period of this week the same principal officer of Nakoss was opportune to fellow the SUG president to meet with Bello and after listening to Bello with his eloquence and benevolence, same EXCO came back and started singing praises of Bello to the extent I witness a near exchange of blows from those who didn't key in to his argument. Yes he nearly fought a NAKOSS senator for questioning his inconsistencies and calling our lecturers greedy lecturers.

Let desist from making neither judgement nor point accusing fingers to any of the warring parties. I would as well plead that we should guide our utterances and provocation against stepping on anyone's ego because no one has monopoly of stalk and framework hence we the students will be on a more safer side.

Has anyone cared to look into what happened to Nassarawa where strike actions as been insatiable. School activities starts and gets grounded the following month. That's the effect of been judgementally blame ready and dispensing syndrome. OAU too is not left out, the students are at home for an indefinite strike, this is one school too many problems but not salary arrears but here in KSU the lectures are not demanding too many but just their earned salary arrears. Not to ask for their pensions, yes because KSU lecturers have never received or got paid pensions but Kogi polytechnic and College of Education do collect theirs, then we remember their earned allowances too, yet all they want is one at a time.

I read the accusations on the students Union government and I sweep in pains. This is not about me as the students leader but I feel the pain too as a potential graduate. I took my time yesterday to vent on our strengths and I am not worried because I know we can protest but for now won't protest against any party until Philip Shaibu says otherwise.

Let not forget in a hurry what happened to the Nigeria Union of Teachers NUT Lokoja branch on the 20th of June in Lokoja. Their protest met with a brutal treatment from some unidentified youths armed to the teeth and they retreated after some got injured. This state affairs needs high level of diplomacy.

I read in my comments box of yet another accusations that ...SUG compounded the problem by taking side with the governor... And that we should stop seeking favor from Lokoja politicians. I don't expect students under any discipline to make such an unfounded and careless statement so I would like to note and not respond to claims with neither basis nor facts.

Trailing the bad news after ASUU Congress a lots have been said of the lecturers and the state but I wish to say it again that when two elephants are fighting We should desist from patronizing the ego of any of them. The lecturers are fed up with political promises, that of course is not far from the truth because we have seen it happened and strikes where truncated or suspended because of mere promises.

The lecturers in their congress stopped yet another careless impunity and a very bad precedent. In their ego of course when allowed more commissioners will ride on the precedent to insult university DONS, Doctor Degree Holders.

I have also read and flipped pages the Nigeria Economy general is bad so therefore lecturers should understand that facts. But nobody is telling you this I discovered myself that no State in Nigeria is owing their university lecturers their basic salaries. Nobody has told you of any single regard or specialty attributed to the striking lecturers from the Kogi state government. Ibrahim Idris and other previous Kogi Governor knows how to soothe with words and their promises will sound believable.

I will run into troubles with this, no body has told you this but I feel Kogi State government collected full 51 billion naira bail out and not 21 billion. Among states that collected their bail out, which of them collected in trench and why is CBN and reputable dailies silent about how much Kogi State received in the bail out.

Yahaya Bello has tried to have check mated the leakages in Kogi finanacial system, and also he has maximized the target of our internally generated revenue.

But why cry media lungs out that he inherited a huge debts but refused to say the blessings he has received or inherited thus far? Well the Federal Government paid a whopping sum 15billion to Kogi State Government for the Federal Projects completed under Former Governor Ibrahim Idris administration. Bello now has a structure that targets a 9 billion internally generated revenue that is now yielding a total sum of 7 billion thus far (Ekiti State federal allocation is not even up to 1 billion naira after charges yet none of their university lecturers' salary is ever with held).

Since we are quick to judge, since Bello started his salary arrears payment to civil servants is it possible that he has disbursed up to 15 billion so far?

PS: When two elephants are fighting...

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