ASUU Strike and Crisis in the Nigerian Education System, By Hassan Taiwo Soweto
ASUU Strike and Crisis in the Nigerian Education System, By Hassan Taiwo Soweto
ASUU
Chief Gani Fawehinmi has always been linked to the struggle to save public education collapse. As early as 1974, he published a book titled "The People's Right to Free Education" and engaged in advocacy and campaigning for the provision of free education at all levels. In fact, when he passed away on September 5, 2009, the ASUU was in the midst of an indefinite national strike - the strike that led to the signing of the now famous FGN/ASUU agreement of 2009 which, unfortunately, is still the subject of debates and controversies due to the refusal of successive capitalist regimes to truly implement the agreement 13 years later. The strike lasted from June 22, 2009 to October 23, 2009.
I remember the words of Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, then President of ASUU, during a press conference announcing the suspension of the strike. He demanded that the government increase the budgetary allocation to the education sector from 13% in 2009 to 18% in 2010. According to the Vanguard newspaper press conference report of October 24, 2009, Awuzie noted that the ( 2009) FGN/ The ASUU agreement prescribed the widely accepted UNESCO minimum of 26% of the annual education budget, by federal and state governments. Specifically, it states; “mindful of the processes for achieving this target of 26% annual budget allocation to education as set out in the UNESCO benchmark, the federal government will strive to gradually increase its budget allocation to the sector education in line with its 20-20-20 Agenda vision. 13 years later, not only is Nigeria far from reaching the UNESCO benchmark of 26%, but the budget allocation to education has dropped from 13% to 5.39% in the 2022 budget!
At this time in 2009, I was a young radical student activist from Obafemi Awolowo University (OUA) Ile Ife. The year-long ASUU strike marked the beginning of my generation's radical intervention on the national stage. Just like now, the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) opposed the ASUU strike and took a pro-government stance. My generation had to challenge this and through the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) platform, we have engaged in independent mass activities including protests and peaceful demonstrations in support of the demands why ASUU went on strike and instructed the federal government to listen to ASUU and respond to demands so that campuses can be reopened. I remember that the funeral activities of Gani Fawehinmi became a rallying point for our mobilization during the ASUU strike in 2009. Especially during his funeral activities in Lagos and Ondo States, a mass of Students and activists from different parts of the country gathered and marched with banners and placards in solidarity with the ASUU strike. This is how Chief Gani Fawehinmi was intrinsically linked to the fight to save public education. There are many more examples.
For example, the duo of Comrade Lanre Arogundade and the General Secretary of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), the late Comrade Segun Sango, in their tribute to leader Gani Fawehinmi during his 70th birthday celebration in 2008, listed his other self - sacrificing actions of solidarity with struggles in the education sector. This includes: facing bayonets and providing free legal services...
Chief Gani Fawehinmi has always been linked to the struggle to save public education collapse. As early as 1974, he published a book titled "The People's Right to Free Education" and engaged in advocacy and campaigning for the provision of free education at all levels. In fact, when he passed away on September 5, 2009, the ASUU was in the midst of an indefinite national strike - the strike that led to the signing of the now famous FGN/ASUU agreement of 2009 which, unfortunately, is still the subject of debates and controversies due to the refusal of successive capitalist regimes to truly implement the agreement 13 years later. The strike lasted from June 22, 2009 to October 23, 2009.
I remember the words of Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, then President of ASUU, during a press conference announcing the suspension of the strike. He demanded that the government increase the budgetary allocation to the education sector from 13% in 2009 to 18% in 2010. According to the Vanguard newspaper press conference report of October 24, 2009, Awuzie noted that the ( 2009) FGN/ The ASUU agreement prescribed the widely accepted UNESCO minimum of 26% of the annual education budget, by federal and state governments. Specifically, it states; “mindful of the processes for achieving this target of 26% annual budget allocation to education as set out in the UNESCO benchmark, the federal government will strive to gradually increase its budget allocation to the sector education in line with its 20-20-20 Agenda vision. 13 years later, not only is Nigeria far from reaching the UNESCO benchmark of 26%, but the budget allocation to education has dropped from 13% to 5.39% in the 2022 budget!
At this time in 2009, I was a young radical student activist from Obafemi Awolowo University (OUA) Ile Ife. The year-long ASUU strike marked the beginning of my generation's radical intervention on the national stage. Just like now, the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) opposed the ASUU strike and took a pro-government stance. My generation had to challenge this and through the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) platform, we have engaged in independent mass activities including protests and peaceful demonstrations in support of the demands why ASUU went on strike and instructed the federal government to listen to ASUU and respond to demands so that campuses can be reopened. I remember that the funeral activities of Gani Fawehinmi became a rallying point for our mobilization during the ASUU strike in 2009. Especially during his funeral activities in Lagos and Ondo States, a mass of Students and activists from different parts of the country gathered and marched with banners and placards in solidarity with the ASUU strike. This is how Chief Gani Fawehinmi was intrinsically linked to the fight to save public education. There are many more examples.
For example, the duo of Comrade Lanre Arogundade and the General Secretary of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), the late Comrade Segun Sango, in their tribute to leader Gani Fawehinmi during his 70th birthday celebration in 2008, listed his other self - sacrificing actions of solidarity with struggles in the education sector. This includes: facing bayonets and providing free legal services...
ASUU
