STRIKES AND INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES ON THE NIGERIA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
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STRIKES AND INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES ON THE NIGERIA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
Worldwide, universities are considered as the fortress of knowledge, the fountain of intellectualism, and the best environment for the development of tomorrow’s leaders.
According to Ike (1999:1), a university fulfils one major duty, which is to give information and value. Its ability or inability to deliver on this criterion determines whether it succeeds or fails.
According to Magna Carta Universitatum, “the university is an autonomous institution at the heart of societies that are differently organised due to geographical and historical heritage; it produces, examines, appraises, and distributes culture through research; and it is an enterprise that serves multidisciplinary purposes.”
This, according to Nwankwo (2000:25), explains why merit has been the watchword in the university system, where a student must first be certified worthy of character and learning before being allowed to the Honours Degree Hall.
Universities play an important role in national development, more so in Africa than elsewhere. Their contributions in research explain why the Federal Government of Nigeria recognises universities as a fulcrum for national growth.
In 1992, Chief Grey Longe established a commission to assess higher education in Nigeria, with a focus on Nigerian institutions. The commission was assigned terms of reference, which included;
To reconsider the developmental functions of universities in underdeveloped nations such as Nigeria.
Determine the country’s intermediate and higher-level personnel supply and demand, and provide advise on under/overpopulation and under/overutilization.
Examine the availability and adequacy of academic staff at institutions.
Investigate the nature, sources, and criteria for funding in higher education institutions. (Especially universities) in order to improve the situation and ensure a consistent supply of finances for the optimal operation of these institutions.
Examine the overall situation of higher education workers, including salary, pensions, and retirement benefits, as well as public and private sector housing, with a focus on reducing brain drain.
Examine the criteria for appointing administrators, such as the vice-chancellor, provosts, rector, registrars, and other important officers, as well as their periods of office and the process for renewing their appointments.
The commission had special sessions with a number of notable persons and educationists, from whom it gained invaluable expertise and experience with Nigeria’s educational system.
Finally, the committee defined higher education as the type of education provided by higher education institutions, particularly universities (conventional and specialised), that produces high- and middle-level manpower but is not specialised as established by professional bodies.
The commission further stated that among its goals and objectives are teaching, research, and public service. The panel noted that Nigerian universities had developed standards equivalent to the best in other areas of the world.
The commission, however, objected over the discovery that the following physical conditions are still the trade marks of Nigerian universities:
Most higher education institutions have dilapidated workshop equipment.
Libraries, lecture rooms, labs, and work farms are among the inadequate amenities.
The commission was also appalled by the fact that universities have not achieved much in terms of the goals and objectives for which they were established, due to constant disruption in the academic flow chart caused by strike actions, industrial unrest, student hooliganism, political instability, and so on.
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