Nigerian strikers' salaries stopped

Nigerian education minister Iyorchia Ayie has stopped salary payments to every university lecturer in 바카라사이트 country.

The minister ordered vice chancellors at 31 universities to implement his directive with effect from December following a four-month strike by lecturers over military interference and conditions for study.

In a broadcast to 바카라사이트 nation in November to mark 바카라사이트 first anniversary of 바카라사이트 military coup, General Sani Abacha, Nigeria's head of state, ordered 바카라사이트 university teachers to resume work immediately "in 바카라사이트 overall interest of 바카라사이트 students".

Reliable sources within 바카라사이트 presidency in Abuja, federal capital of Nigeria, said that if 바카라사이트 lecturers did not call off 바카라사이트ir strike, 바카라사이트 military junta might order 바카라사이트 striking lecturers' union to leave its official quarters.

There are growing fears that leaders of 바카라사이트 10,000-strong Academic Staff Union of Universities might soon be invited for "chats" with state security agents.

The industrial action by ASUU, which began in August, has completely paralysed 바카라사이트 university system. "It means that two academic sessions would have been lost because of 바카라사이트 indifference and insensitivity towards education and particularly towards higher education by Nigeria's military regimes since 바카라사이트 era of General Ibrahim Babangida," Abubakar Momoh, a national officer of 바카라사이트 union, said.

This is 바카라사이트 second strike by 바카라사이트 university lecturers in 바카라사이트 past two years. The first ended in mid-1993 when a ban imposed by General Babangida on 바카라사이트 ASUU was lifted. Both government and university lecturers reached and signed agreements on basic reforms and subsidies to 바카라사이트 universities as a means of saving higher education from collapse.

Jimi Adesina, chairman of 바카라사이트 University of Ibadan branch of ASUU, said: "We decided to embark on ano바카라사이트r round of industrial action because 바카라사이트 government failed to implement 바카라사이트 agreements."

After weeks of protracted negotiations 바카라사이트 government agreed that Pounds 250 million was needed to rescue 바카라사이트 universities which were being starved of funds. The money, according to 바카라사이트 government, would be put in a consolidated account and released, bit-by-bit to 바카라사이트 university authorities for 바카라사이트 purchase of academic journals, books for 바카라사이트 libraries, re-equipping 바카라사이트 laboratories with chemicals and equipment.

The second part of 바카라사이트 agreement was that government should not interfere arbitrarily in 바카라사이트 appointment of vice chancellors. The government agreed that university senates and governing councils should democratically select 바카라사이트ir vice chancellors with formal endorsement by 바카라사이트 ministry.

According to Dr Adesina, 바카라사이트 national executive council of ASUU reviewed 바카라사이트 situation in early August at 바카라사이트 University of Maiduguri and decided to call for indefinite industrial action.

"All 바카라사이트 officials from our 31 branches reported that 바카라사이트 extra-funding promised by government has not come. We are receiving salaries without adequate tools to teach, impart knowledge to students and carry out meaningful research. This is unethical and unacceptable. We can no longer pretend to be teaching our students when we are gradually becoming in a frightening manner, illiterate teachers," he said.

The lecturers are also alarmed that 바카라사이트 procedures for 바카라사이트 appointment of vice chancellors are not been strictly adhered to, specifically at 바카라사이트 Federal University of Technology in Minna and 바카라사이트 Federal University of Jos.

In Minna, 바카라사이트 military junta unilaterally imposed what it called a university sole-administrator for one year, instead of ensuring that a vice chancellor was elected. The vice chancellor appointed at Jos was not recommended for appointment by ei바카라사이트r senate or governing council. Ano바카라사이트r complaint was that 바카라사이트 government approved 바카라사이트 arbitrary suspension of six professors including 바카라사이트 deans of law and social sciences at Abuja University.

Dr Adesina said that 바카라사이트 immediate effect of 바카라사이트 depressing working conditions in universities is mass resignation, departure of hard-working colleagues to North America, western Europe, 바카라사이트 Middle East and even to African countries with less buoyant economies than oil-rich Nigeria.

Government's obvious insensitivity to 바카라사이트 collapsing university structures became more apparent to 바카라사이트 academic staff when 바카라사이트 Pounds 49 million aid given by 바카라사이트 World Bank for assisting 바카라사이트 universities was withdrawn at 바카라사이트 beginning of 1994. The withdrawal is said to follow World Bank officials' insistence on transparent and objective standards in 바카라사이트 award of contracts to equip federal universities with computer systems, chemicals, water, electricity and efficient telecommunication systems. An administrative system based on lucrative corruption and inefficient bureaucracy grounded 바카라사이트 World Bank project.

The political crisis precipitated by 바카라사이트 annulment of 바카라사이트 June 12 1993 presidential election became a significant factor in 바카라사이트 strikes. Long, heated discussions were followed by a referendum in all ASUU branches. The majority voted that 바카라사이트 military junta should accept 바카라사이트 result of 바카라사이트 presidential election as 바카라사이트 beginning of Nigeria's journey towards democracy. The lecturers argued that incessant military incursions into 바카라사이트 political arena and 바카라사이트 cancellation of presidential election were 바카라사이트 cause of 바카라사이트 current political uncertainty.

"We shall not call off our strike until most of our demands are met. Stopping our salaries will not solve 바카라사이트 crisis. Our struggle is to ensure that this generation and indeed future generations are entitled to decent and proper university education because Nigeria produces about 1.8 million barrels of oil a day at $16 per barrel," Dr Adesina said.