Students, civil society groups join ASUU protest against ‘No work, no pay’ policy

Students of the University of Lagos and some civil society groups trooped out en masse, on Tuesday, in Lagos, to join the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) to protest the Federal Government’s implementation of ‘No-work, no-pay policy’ for public university lecturers in the country.

They said they could no longer fold their hands and watch the political ruling class kill public university education “just as they had done for primary and secondary education in the country.”

As early as 8.30 am, they had assembled at the Julius Berger Hall near the University Senate House and moved from there around the campus and then to the main gate chanting solidarity songs.

They carried placards with various inscriptions such as “PMB, please stop Ngige from jeopardising the future of Nigerian students,” “No work, no pay and pro-rated salaries are merely punitive and diversionary and so, on Nimi Briggs Renegotiated agreement we stand,” “Teachers teach the nation, Ngige cheats the teachers” and “Education is life and no education, no development,” among others to show their dissafection to the system.

Among those in attendance were the Lagos zone coordinator of ASUU and lecturer at UNILAG, Dr Adelaja Odukoya; UNILAG ASUU branch chairman, Dr Dele Ashiru; his University of Ibadan’s counterpart, Ayodele Akinwole; Secretary General of the Joint Front Action(coalition of Civil Society and Labour Movement in Nigeria), Abiodun Aremu; Public Relations Officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS),
Giwa Yisa Temitope; President, Faculty of Arts Students Association, UNILAG, Victor Odeyemi and the National Coordinator of Education Rights Campaign, Hassan Soweto, and so forth.

They all addressed the crowd in turn with their messages pointing in the same direction, condemning the Federal Government and its agents on various decisions and actions being taken in the university education and the educator sector as a whole.

They said almost all the moves and steps by the Federal Government in the education sector in the country are anti-masses and anti-development.

They said if not for the efforts of ASUU in the past through which such organisations like the Tertiary Education Trust Fund(TETFUND) were established and become a major projects provider on campuses, public tertiary education would be grounded for a long time.

They said even by now when both the social and economic life of Nigeria as a country have almost been at a zero level with the majority of citizens in abject poverty, the Federal Government ought to have been serious to make the education system work and attractive to both workers and students.

They said the ruling class must know and understand that only quality education from primary to university level can take Nigeria and its people out of hunger and poverty and not by mere promises.
They said it was awkward and insensitive that the Federal Government can treat university teachers who are intellectuals and professionals like casual workers.

They said as it were, the Federal Government must not only immediately drop the policy of no-work no- pay in the university system but must also tender an apology to lecturers for treating them like casual workers.
They said they would all continue to stand together as a united people to ensure Federal Government and its agents give the education sector a rightful place among all sectors of the economy.

The students in particular said their teachers deserve a better living and they should therefore be treated with deserve respect and also be well remunerated.

It will be recalled that ASUU national had directed all its branches nationwide to choose a day within the week to stage a protest rally on their various campuses against the no work no pay policy of the Federal Government.

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Students, civil society groups join ASUU protest against ‘No work, no pay’ policy