By Adadainfo
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has attributed opinions from some quarters urging it to call off its seven months’ old strike to ‘lack of understanding of the core issues’.
ASUU’s newly constituted Rapid Response Committee stated this, Tuesday, in a statement signed by its convener, Prof Ade Adejumo.
According to ASUU, “While we concede that some of the opinions stem from genuine concern for a resolution of the impasse, some others are clearly based on ignorance and/or mischief.
“ASUU would continue to set the records straight and shed light on issues in its patriotic struggle to save our university system from those bent on ruining it.”
ASUU reacted to a publication of a US-based Nigerian, Dr Yemi Adebowale, which suported ‘no work, no pay’ policy of the federal government on ASUU, noting that the writer was ignorant of the Nigerian university system.
The union said, “The barrage of opinions on traditional and social media on the seven-month long strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is hardly surprising, since it is an important issue touching the lives of many Nigerians, students, parents and many other Nigerians.
“That it is also an emotional issue is evident from the vitriol in many of the opinions or publications on the matter, many of which demonstrate a lack of understanding of the core issues.
“While we concede that some of the opinions stem from genuine concern for a resolution of the impasse, some others are clearly based on ignorance and/or mischief. ASUU would continue to set the records straight and shed light on issues in its patriotic struggle to save our university system from those bent on ruining it.
“Contrary to Yemi Adebowale’s uninformed view, the work of a lecturer goes beyond teaching students. In fact, although the most visible, teaching is the simplest of a lecturer’s job.
“This perhaps explains why it carries a mere 10 per cent in the consideration of a lecturer’s promotion, where it is scored at all. Furthermore, in academia, good teaching is impossible without good research. Excellent and quality research are sine qua non for good teaching. While teaching is on hold during the pendency of a strike, research work goes on unimpeded.
“Added to this is the third leg of a lecturer’s preoccupation – community development – which is, application of research based-knowledge within and beyond the universities.
“This explains why contrary to conventional employment practices as it concerns letter of employment, no resumption and closing time are contained in the employment letters of academics. We work 24/7 and 365 days a year, strike or no strike.
“Sadly, Yemi’s prejudice and hatred for lecturers made him not to see the illogicality and danger in the government’s ‘no work, no pay’ mantra, as well as its harmful implications for the students he pretends to love.”
