Governor Bello and KSU ASUU

Amidst lingering labour crises arising from unpaid salaries and allowances by the Kogi State government to some of its workers including teachers, Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello on Wednesday last week proscribed the Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU] and its activities at the stateowned Kogi State University, Anyigba.

Bello, who made the proclamation in Lokoja after a decision he said was reached by the State Executive Council, also said it was sequel to the union’s failure to call off its seven months old strike action. This was in spite of the claim by the state government that it had met 90 percent of the union’s demands. Accordingly, Governor Bello directed all academic staff of the institution to immediately resume normal academic activities or deem themselves to have resigned from the employment of the state government and the university. He said “lecturers have been paid up to date and there was no justification for them to continue with their industrial action.”

As visitor to the Kogi State University [KSU], Bello ordered its management to engage suitable replacements for all crucial staff vacancies including those that have left or may wish to leave or are deemed to have left the service of KSU pursuant to the proclamation. The governor also directed all relevant security agencies in the state to be on the look out to forestall any breach of peace. Justifying the ban, the governor said that with all appeasement, government was unable to bring ASUU to a middle ground. “The Kogi State government is forced”, Bello added, “to believe that members of ASUU-KSU, for no justifiable cause, have deliberately persisted in the breach of their responsibilities as employees of the Kogi State government.”

The jubilation by KSU students and their parents which greeted the governor’s decision to proscribe ASUU suggests that the protracted strike had lost public sympathy. However, Governor Bello’s proscription of the union isn’t a workable solution to the crisis. The ban handed down by the governor is unlikely to compel the striking lecturers to resume work. In spite of the proscription, KSU lecturers vowed to continue with the strike action until their demands are met. The union said some of its members numbering about 200 were screened out of service during the last staff verification exercise. ASUUKSU’s chairman of Mr. Daniel Aina said the strike could only be suspended when all issues relating to arrears of salaries, 2015 employment, contract and sabbatical appointments are resolved.

It is obvious that the “90 percent appeasement” claim by the governor does not include these pending demands.The union which commended the state government for reconstituting the governing council of the university also said government must resume the monthly installment payment of the 20092014 arrears of the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA). Reacting to the proscription order, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Mr. Ayuba Wabba said Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi lacks powers to ban union activities in the state. Wabba contends that workers have fundamental human rights to join unions of their choice as enshrined in the charters of the UN and the ILO to which Nigeria is a signatory.

ASUU is a trade union that would consistently refuse to shift ground when negotiating with government. Unfortunately, this hardline attitude that is typical of ASUU members in most Nigerian universities has never added value to the union. Although ASUU is a rigid organization, KSU branch of ASUU should be ready to return to the negotiation table when invited by the Kogi state government. While we urge Governor Bello to lift the ban on ASUU at KSU, we advise both parties to cherish the dialogue option. The negotiation role of the governing council of KSU as well as the reconciliatory intervention by ASUU’s National Executive Committee in the matter can amicably resolve the impasse. With the recent release of another N243bn Paris Club refund to states from which Kogi received N6bn, the state should be able to resolve the union’s demands.