By Abba Muhammad Tawfiq
The rapid spreading of covid19 pestilence through the boundaries of Nigeria which was eventually preceded by the initiation of integrated personnel and payroll information system (IPPIS) by the government to null corruption practices in the country is wantonly leeching the exquisite future of Nigerian students, annihilating the glee of their academic pursuit by buttressing the menace of a lingering break of about seven months now.
To reach the summit of peace at the peak of crises, it is essential for the involved parties to come on board, sit and figure out the aetiology responsible for the problems and thus establish a long lasting resolution, but unfortunately this is what remains forever impossible between ASUU and Nigerian government.
Although it is apparently undeniable that neither the government nor the ASUU is at extreme effort of truism, but speaking with integrity of the heart from the prudence of experience and as my honesty put it to written, the government has been iniquitous by posing a never unending threat to our education system, subjugating the university staff to unbearable hardship through the few following:
-Firstly, depriving the basic right of those who fail to adhere to the so-called IPPIS data capturing. How do we expect a civil servant to cope with major vicissitudes of living with his monthly stipend been mercilessly withheld?
-Secondly, delay and unnecessary reduction in the payment of those who acquiesce to comply with the IPPIS for reasons best known to the government/IPPIS.
-Thirdly, cruelly denying academic allowances and others through IPPIS as the IPPIS is not carved to suit in these.
– Fourthly, “consider farming as alternative profession”.Irreverence reaction made by junior minister of education to the demand of striking lecturers.
All these are attributed to the said war against corruption. The question here is ” who in the midst of politicians today and their allies in the key public offices is moving scot free of corruption in the street of Nigeria? Why is Nigerian custom services, federal internal revenue services (FIRS), and NNPC not enrolled in the IPPIS stuff?
The government should have first focused on raging a furious war against corruption within itself and it’s official before other governmental agencies as they’re the true definition of corruption.
All living organisms are constantly involve in a struggle for existence. Each and every living organism is thus characterized by the distinctive features to enable them carryout their ecological niche as competition as well as fittest survival exists in the society. By the virtue of this law, the politicians in broader prospective have been partially selective, strongly attributing the country’s wealth only to themselves regardless of others. To what amount is the basic salary of professors in Nigerian universities? And how long in transit on the rough course of academia does it take them to possess the rank of professorate and attain that salary? When we compare that with the salaries of those in other sectors not to talk of politicians who besides their basic salaries and allowances are wrecking havoc on the nation by loots, we’ll then ascertain that education and lecturers are being deprived grossly. Juxtapose the amount allocated to education with that of National house of assembly and defense in the recent budget bill presented by the president.
Looking conveniently from the other panoramic view of the issue, how I wish it should be noteworthy to ASUU that only extreme situations call for extreme measures.
The inevitable repercussion of the incessant strikes been provoked by ASUU for decades over the jam tomorrow without even consideration to the recent introduction of IPPIS on our education is self destructive and can be related simply to that of the autoimmune disorders–conditions by which the defense system of the body recruits soldiers to kill itself. Moreover, sorry to say that our professors and lecturers are alleged of supporting and enabling unfit candidates to be crowned over political thrones, who at the end of the game will pay them their full recompense by turning their ears to the ground to their demands. This I think is enough a reprimand!!
In addition, if we can trace as far back as 70s and 80s, believe you me if not all, most of these lecturers and professors and most of their political allies had studied without any foot at the bill but sorry to say that yielding fruit of their education is of no benefaction rather than taking a malicious delight in sowing a deep simmering hostility towards the education of the children of the poor may be this is because most of them have their children studying overseas.
Condescending the stature of our Educational system by debasing the efforts of the students and of course that of their parents with unnecessarily strikes and unbearable escalation of tuition fees to the apex because they can afford the expense of private universities or schools abroad.
Finally, sailing this piece to its conclusion, I will urge the government to establish skills acquisition from the basic schools to higher institutions instead of committing us tirelessly with tedious studies from kindergartens to the university level, making us study hard to graduate with the good results thus at the end promising us white collar jobs and offices that have never existed or very well preserved for the children born with the so-called proverbial spoons, the children of political elites…, by so doing we can at least curtail the boredom of unemployment. Sincerely speaking the worst of pain to have afflicted the striving Nigerian students isn’t folded just within strike but inability to secure a job after graduation. Even without having been graduated, I wish our sore feelings of boring idleness could be palpated.
Abba Tawfiq, 400L MEDICAL REHABILITATION STUDENT. UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI. Writes from YOLA
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Sky Daily
