Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
THE battle for the soul of the Nigerian university system between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has entered its eighth month. It has come with a volley of threats, ranging from taking ASUU to the Industrial Court to outlawing the union. Unfortunately, some union members as well as students have died since the squabble began.
President Muhammadu Buhari has spent the last seven and a half years of his presidency focusing on “building the nation” rather than bestowing national honors. However, the President bestowed the GCFR posthumously on Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled historic June 12, 1993 presidential election. Other honors include the National Productivity Order of Merit Awards from the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Merit Award. I’m not aware of any other recent honors bestowed upon Nigerians by the Buhari administration.
While reading through the list, I came across the name of the late Dr. Stella Adadevoh, who received a posthumous award for her efforts in combating the spread of the Ebola virus in the country. She received a posthumous National Productivity Order of Merit, NPOM, earlier this year, and she is still eligible for a posthumous Officer of the Order of the Niger. “Now let us remove all symbols of power from the coffin, so that our sister, Elizabeth, can be committed to the grave as a simple Christian,” said the Priest at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
I was astounded when I saw the list of those who will receive national honors; it appears quite patronizing. Mostly for the political class, a few public sector players, athletes, and academics. This, I assumed, was a slap on the Academic Staff Union of Universities. Despite the fact that their salaries are not being paid, some of them are being honored by the nation that is starving them.
The rate at which people have left the country since the start of this melodrama has resulted in lecturers leaving in droves, students abandoning their academic pursuits in Nigeria and moving to other countries with stable academic calendars, and others switching from federal and state universities to private universities. According to the article, if the strike occurs again, it is very likely that what happened to public primary and secondary schools will happen to federal and state universities.
Professor Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian literary giant, declined the national honor of Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR, for the second time in 2011. Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives at the time, wrote to President Goodluck Jonathan to express his rejection of the Order of the Federal Republic, OFR, to be conferred on him.
The lawmaker had questioned the selection criteria for the 2011 National Honours. Gbajabiamila argued in the letter to the President that national awards should only be given to those who have made tangible contributions to the development of the country, as opposed to now, when they are given out indiscriminately as presidential favors.
However, the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, will be the first recipient of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, CFR. Does this imply that the list was merited rather than a presidential favor?
Many of those on the list from the diaspora are being rewarded by the system that drove them out. It may appear gratifying that their good works are being recognized by their fatherland, but they must consider the circumstances that led to their forced exile from a land that cannot support their ambitions to become great.
They would need to fly into Abuja and, as expected, with a spouse with the meager sum earned by academia. Where would these funds come from? Will it compensate for the eight months of unpaid salaries if paid by the Federal Government of Nigeria? Keep in mind that this is a “no work, no pay” strike.
I grew up hearing the adage, “an injustice done to one is an injustice done to all.” I am confident that an award for one does not imply an award for all. If we continue to lose this war in pieces as a result of “presidential favors” in the form of national honors, the lives of innocent Nigerians, the students, will be wasted for no just cause.
The world is watching to see if academia will take the lead in reforming the educational sector and the electoral process, as they are the main umpire in overseeing the process, and if they will stand up to defend students. If academia continues to dance to the tune of honors that have little or no impact on lives, the political class will win or lose this war.
