UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDUSTRIAL CONFLICT AND EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN PERSPECTIVE, 1980-2022
Comfort Fatimoh Sheidu, PhD
Department of Political Science and International Relations
University of Abuja, Nigeria
Abstract
This study examined the impact of conflict in society as it allows for development. The focus was on Nigeria’s university education sector. Conflict is widespread in human societies and is an expression of social disequilibrium. Conflict is pervasive and unavoidable within social groups and between social groups. A new twist in analysing conflict in society is to look at conflict in its constructive and positive apparel. The incessant conflict between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) resulting in various industrial actions is to drive home ASUU’s demand for proper funding for the public universities revitalization in Nigeria. The methodology adopted was secondary source. Secondary data sources such as journals, newspapers, and Internet were explored and analysed based on content and discourse analysis. Using the theoretical underpinning of the Marxist conflict theory, this study suggests that class antagonism and the quest for change in the status-quo allows for conflict. Therefore, the crux of the issue lies on policy makers who are in a position to make and implement policies that can resolve the conflict. It is encouraged that the federal government should be committed to better funding of the education sector so as to curtail frequent conflict and give room for development; bearing in mind that well educated individuals are far more able to contribute to the well-being and advancement of society.
Keywords: Academic Staff Union of Universities, Tertiary university education, Policy-makers, Industrial conflict, Educational development, Nigeria.
Introduction
Conflict simply means a tussle between individuals or group of individuals as a result of differences in understanding, attitudes, interests, needs and even values. Okeke and Joe-Akunne (2020) notes that conflict is inevitable in any human venturebecause of mans’ imperfection characteristics. According to Anugwom (2016), Conflict is a common phenomenon which occurs in the day-to-day inter-personal relationships in the society. Organisations which have no conflict issues shows that such organisations are not dynamic and progressive, therefore nothing relevant is happening in such places (Anugwom, 2016).
Despite the perpetual existence of conflict, a well-managed conflict does not necessary translate to violence. Conflict can however portray negativity and cause mayhem in an institutional framework, but it can be translated as a mechanism to improve the condition of the institution and the welfare of the people in it, so as to ensure effectiveness. This difference is possible as a result of effective conflict management. (Hotton, 1998). Ekpu (2008) is of the view that conflict is the result of the various features of people’s beliefs, thoughts, attitudes, perceptions, thoughts, structure and social system that can make it either positive or negative. Thus, Ekpu (2008) went further to explain that the effects of conflict are determined by the way it is managed. Therefore, this study tends to look at an aspect of conflict that merit discussion, that is, the possibility of conflict being seen as a form of discursive justification for development. Conflict could be envisaged a development energizer if handledcarefully by the parties involved in the conflict or those endowed with the responsibility of settling conflict in the society.
The relevance of university education to a nation’s development cannot be overstated. Agbona, Yusuf & Onifade (2009) reasoned that there are three important ways a nation expects university education investment to contribute to the development of a country. In the first instance, a nation expectation lies in the ability of its university to produce graduates that are competent in the area of management, technology, law, engineering, medicine and other relevant courses. Again, academicians are produced by universities and they are expected to generate new knowledge through thorough and effective scientific research so as to solve developmental issues in the society. Lastly, other levels of human resources development institutions which may include policy makers, administrators, teachers, managers etc, are trained and nurtured mainly at the universities. In the same vein, Akereke (2017) agrees that university education is the most relevant part of the educational system because it is at this point that thegood future can be achieved through the knowledge accumulated by the members of the society or a nation. Learning and quality research can only be done in a university because it serves as a citadel of knowledge, where the future giants are build. Regrettably, the present situation of federal universityinstitutions in Nigeria is pitiable and constitutes a source of worry to those who are in love with education. (Patrick et al, 2021). They went further to explain that a situation where students of tertiary universities in Nigeria are frequently away from schools while lecturers are unnecessarily denied of their salaries and entitlements makes them easy prey and vulnerable to criminalities.
In the year 1978, ASUU, an acronym for Academic Staff Union of Universities, came into being to take over from the National Association of University Teachers (NAUT). ASUU as a trade union is affiliated to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Pitan and Akindele (2016) notedthat the terms and conditions of employment with the workers are worked out by trade unions, thereby ensuring that the members are not victimised and their interests are protected. Since its inception, it has always been in the news for being at loggerheads with the federal government, which primarily is a fight to force the government to be more intentional in the development of Nigeria’s university institutions. It is the demand of ASUU that the federal government should fulfill an agreement it signed with them in 2009 on how to redeem the nation’s university institutions from total damage.
ASUU and Industrial Conflict in Nigeria
Industrial conflict is seen by Johnson (2018) to be a disagreement or scuffle between two or more parties, whereby the opposing party’s main aim is an intentional negative interference and total expression of hostility in the opponent’s goal attainment agenda. Johnson (2018) further explained that not divulging certain necessary information and blocking an opponent’s goal attainment agenda are all forms of interference. According to Frederick (2015), there is always industrial conflict which is mostly due to the expression of disagreement or dissatisfaction about contract of employment and general collective bargaining. Furthermore, Frederick (2015) expresses industrial conflict to bethe incompatibility of workers and employers interest in the work environment or work space, such disagreement could possibly be due to the terms and conditions of service or employment, and clashes due to opposing ideas between the workers and employers. This is also in the same view with Fujana (2018), who stated that industrial conflicts are a set of behaviour and attitude that shows opposition from the other party.
According to Ajayi and Ekundayo (2008), strike is an element of industrial unrest which shows employee’s effort to withdraw from work so that a better concession can be made by the employer at the point of bargaining. They are also of the opinion that the greatest bargaining item used by the labour union is strike. Michael (2004) asserts that among all industrial relation features, strike isthe most politically endowed to make impact. Strike is too often used to achieve result immediately; it is considered a weapon of first resort rather than last resort. Therefore, most labour unions have come to a realisation that if all else fails, the legitimate last result is strike. Strike is simply a brief stoppage of work in a bid to force the employers into accepting the employees’ demand. However, it can vary from total and complete strike where the employees do not work until their demand and interest are fulfilled, to sit-down strike where employees still go to work but intentionally do not perform their duty or job description. (Okeme et al, 2021).
Strike is a veritable tool ASUU has been using to push their demands and pressurize the Federal Government of Nigeria to act accordingly. Strike has to do with a continuous absence from work by employees in some or complete service halt from their job description. ASUU considers strike as the final option that is efficient and sufficient to changethe decisions of the government. (Tahir, 2014; Ibrahim, 2015).
The crisis of unresolved industrial agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) is one of the many unsettled conflicts in the Nigerian higher education. The sacking of the 44 University of Ilorin lecturers after a nationwide strike of April 2nd 2001 which lasted for nine-months, made the issue to degenerate to a more difficult conflict. This conflict continues to this moment (Agbonna; Yusuf & Onifade, 2009). All through the years, the Federal government has refused to improve the welfare of lecturers by increasing their salary and paying their Earned Allowance, this has led to series of strike by ASUU.
Adetiba, (2012) opines that the agreements between the government and the staff of the university not being implemented is the main reason for the continuous conflicts which give rise to strikes and the incessant closure of Nigeria universities. Most of these industrial conflicts have had immediate effects and negative impacts as it distorts the university academic calendar leading to exhaustion and making less of professional ethics and standard,(Amadi and Urho – 2015) reiterated. The constant resort to conflict resulting in the closure of the universities can now be referred to as a vicious cycle of strike, negotiation, arriving at agreement, postponing strike, waiting, non-implementation of agreement, warning strike, and full blown strike.
Since 2009, a year hardly passes without several months of stoppage of academic calendar of the universities due to agreement reached between the federal government and ASUU not being fulfilled. At the moment of writing this article, most lecturers in Nigeria are yet to receive thepayment of their Earned Allowance and ASUU have laid down their tools from work since February 14, 2022 for a four weeks strike which was later extended by eight weeks after the government has refused to have an audience with them and meet up with their demands. If Federal government seems to have failed in meeting the demands of the universities lecturers, then the lecturers are not well equipped to provide sustainable and practical learning to the teaming Nigerian university students.
Wahab (2018)is of the opinion that the incessant conflict between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is the only constant thing in the academic calendar of Nigerian universities. Wahab (2018) reiterates that the university union always ask and insist that the Nigeria university system have a better funding and that each time an agreement is reached with the federal government; the government always reneges of its promise. This has led the university system to slide into avoidable industrial conflicts and incessant strikes always. Amadi and Urho (2015), expressing displeasure over the unpleasant effect of industrial conflicts in tertiary institutions, are of the idea that most academic activities in the university institutions are distorted and paralyzed frequently and this is a major cause of churning out graduates who are not professionals in their study area. This scenario will definitely have effects on sustainable development goals of the institutions and the nation at large.
Education Budget in Nigeria
In the words of Oloyede, et al (2021), Universities are significant to developing any country through research and technological innovations; such tertiary institutions need to be upgraded through modern learning facilities to make their impacts known and be able to compete equally with their peers in other parts of the universe. For, Mehlinger and Powers (2019), physical and technological developments rests upon education as it major foundation. They viewed it as a veritable tool in developing any nation and most especially the developing ones. The provision of education is therefore one of the government’s social responsibility to her citizens. According to Nwajioha (2016), education, be it formal or informal, constitute the engine of transformation, growth and development of any nation. Therefore, education is seen as important in man’s survival, it gives way for more valuable knowledge and skills development in a society, it brings about useful and desirable attitudes and skills not only to the recipient, but also to the society.
The major issue facing the tertiary education institutions in Nigeria is funding. In comparison to the nation’s population, the funds provided to university institutionsare inadequate. The educational sector is still faced with many challenges despite of the many advantages of tertiary university education in Nigeria. These challenging issues have stopped the sector from achieving desired outcomes and meeting up with the demand of the current century. (Ogbette A.S., Emenike E.L., Eze O.O., 2017). According to Egbokhare, F. (2006), lack of funds have made most of the elaborate university institutions structures which were erected during the affluence moment of the country not to be maintained and most of the structures and facilities today have become deteriorated and abysmally unappealing to sight. Thus, according to ASUU, since 2009, the prevalent problem in ASUU’s dispute and negotiation with the Federal Government of Nigeria can be seen from the area of funding of the Nigeria Federal Universities. In the view of Qian (2015), despite the rise in the monetary terms and values of the education budget allocated to the sector, but in terms of percentage, it is not in consonance with the target of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). It is crucial from the union’s perspective that if Nigeria is keen about national development, then this target should be reached and maintained.
Akah (2018) argues that the educational sector needs to be funded with no iota of excuse should be acceptable. The narrative by the union members shows that the conflict is not just the demand of resourcing or funding the education sector, but the wider issue of national development that should be more important. Similarly, according to Qian (2015), the Nigerian government continuous short-falling in the internationally set standard of 20 percent by UNESCO is evidenced in the ‘Annual Budgetary Allocations to Education of 20 World Bank Sampled Countries’ where Ghana took the lead (1st position) with 31 percent of its budgetary allocation education, followed by Cote D’Ivoire (2nd position) with 30 percent while India and Nigeria came behind as the 19th and 20th with a budgetary allocation of 12.7 percent and 8.4 percent respectively. The Nigerian funding position clearly demonstrates the importance government attach to education generally which often empowers ASUU demand for improved financial allocation to University; encourage the government to encourage the establishment of private University, compromise of stand on the public Universities academic quality, and their low research output. (Teferra, D. and Altbach, P., 2004).
The demand of industrial unions in the Nigerian Universities and most especially ASUU is basically the fulfillment of the agreement reached with them by the government since2009 on how to deliver the country’s university institutions from totalfailure. (Egbokhare, F., 2006). On the other hand, government is not committed to the agreement it reached with the union but insisted on a proposed piecemeal selective approach. There is no doubt that education is too vital to the survival of any nation and for that it should not be treated with levity. By World standard, it is evidence that Nigeria is currently below standard in the funding of her tertiary education sector.
Review of Literature
Many literatures have showed that there is an important relationship between societal development and tertiary education (Arbo and Benneworth, 2007; Trippl, Sinozic and Smith, 2014). Development has to do with every action geared towards making better the conditions and state of individual existence (Aboyega, 2003). Every part of human existence, through the process of development,is affected (Etesike, 2017). It also makes better the quality of life of the masses through economic, political, cultural and social changes (Ololobou, 2003). Sustainable and increaesed development is ensured by education (Inyamah, 2010; Abolade, 2003), through continuous and effective research, as conducted in higher place of learning like the university institutions.
One of the social responsibilities of any responsible government to its citizen is education. It is a social good and not just a commodity for sale in the society. Education propels growth, rapid development and total transformation of the society. Tertiary education restores to mankind its humanity. The university is the think tank of the society. There is a nervous breakdown in the society when it is shut down, just like a person suffering from stroke and therefore becomes incapacitated. (Aidelunuoghene, 2014). Over the years, every successive government of the country has witnessed one or more industrial dispute by the Academic Staff Union of Universities through the series of strike actions. Adesulu (2014) connotes that, this is due to the federal government not taking the rapid development of the tertiary education sector seriously, which is seen in their insincerity of purpose in negotiations and collective agreements not being implemented to the latter. These acts by the federal government have made the academic calendar of universities to be continuously disrupted and the standards of education declining, which allows for the migration of the best academics to a more advanced and developed countries where their efforts will be well appreciated and rewarded. (Oni, B., 2008).
Issues to be concerned about in Nigeria universities are overcrowded lecture halls, archaic books in the libraries, low staff strength, under-qualified lecturers, poor or no internet facilities, poorly equipped laboratories, no modern teaching gadgets, poor infrastructures like water system, toilet system, electricity etc. Odunsi (2021) reiterated that the continuous demands of ASUU over the years center on six major issues which are: increased funding for public universities; revisit of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement; outstanding academic allowances; continuous increase in the number of universities; composition of Visitation Team to Federal Universities; and forceful implementation of the Integrated Payroll on Personnel Information System (IPPIS). A ten month which started in March 2020 was suspended in January 2021 does not suggest that these issues have been finally addressed because it is pertinent to note that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, as at the period of writing this paper has been on strike since February 14, 2022 with no end in sight.
One of the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities is to ensure that the nature of learning given to those in the various university institutions is of the utmost quality (Adamu and Nwogu, 2014). Therefore, the Academic Staff Union demands the total overhaul of the university institutions through, higher funding, higher infrastructural development and better condition of service for the personnel. These unfulfilled demands are always the cause of the conflict. If the desired quality of infrastructure is not attained by increased funding, as being demanded by ASUU, then the quality of education mostly envisaged will not be achieved. This was enunciated by Adesulu (2014), that the unavailability of most of the requirements for gaining standard education in the university institutions is affecting the quality and class of graduates in the society.
The Federal Government of Nigeria made an argument that the Academic Staff Union of Universities has at several times did not conform to appeals nor listen to orders from various panels to go back to work, or to accept any renegotiation terms in good faith and allow the students back to the class. (Aidelunuoghene, O.S., 2014). Consequently, the federal government maintains that ASUU does not abide to law and they are unpatriotic. ASUU on the other hand refer quickly to historical precedents, whereby their personnel went back to work after such orders and appeals, but the federal government did not keep to their promise, thereby leaving the issue as it were. They are of the opinion that these orders and appeals will not change the stale condition of the educational system in the country. (Akah, A.U., 2018). At this point, one has to sympathise with ASUU in their journey of tertiary education liberation and development in the country.
Fig. 1 Location of Federal Universities in Nigeria
Source: Ogbuju, E. et al (2012).
Implications of ASUU Strikes in Nigeria
Education according to (Lawal, 2013) has to do with the continuously enhancing the development of the society from generation to generation by transmitting the acquired skills, interests, knowledge, abilities, competence, skills, attitudes and cultural norms. In the Nigerian society today, ASUU strike has made a caricature of the academic performances of the Nigerian students. The fact cannot be denied that it is quite unfortunate that the conflict between the Federal Government of Nigeria and ASUU is frequently dragged to the point of destroying the success of the university education system in the country with its attendant negative implications on the academic achievement of the students and its multiplier effect on the society. It is important to understand that staff industrial action in Nigeria universities has become a common occurrence with its negative effects on the performance and academic success of the students (Nwajioha, 2016).
According to Egwu (2016), ASUU strikes affect both parents and students, thereby making them victims indirectly. This is seen in the increase in the duration of the students’ academic whereby they are forced to stay at home and hence increasing the burden of having additional resources to cater for their needs. Egwu (2016) went further to state that ASUU labour conflicts increases the number of years students were expected to spend in schools before graduating. During the period of industrial unrest, most students would have found themselves in one anti-social acts or the other, such as internet fraud, thuggery, armed robbery, prostitution, drug trafficking and kidnapping etc. According to (Bello, 2008; Kazeem and Ige, 2010; Adesulu, 2014), ASUU strikes have negative impact on the students in various ways, which includes lack of opportunities to cover up for the wasted periods and not adequately implementing the course curriculum. Therefore, the quality of most graduates churned out by the federal universities has little or nothing to offer as a result of the frequent strikes. Great disparity exists between the result of trained federal university graduates and what the labor market needs, which has decreased the graduates’ prospects for employment. The trio of (Iheanacho, 2002; Isangedighi, 2007; Ibrahim, 2015) affirm that strike actions render both students and lecturers emotionally and psychologically unstable.
Timeline of ASUU Strike in Nigeria
The incessant strikes embarked by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have made the decision to study in the Nigeria’s Federal universities unappealing. Here is a table showing the various industrial actions by ASUU;
Fig. 2: Chronicle of ASUU Strike in Nigeria Since its Inception
| S/N | Date | Nature and Causes of Strike |
| 1 | 1980 | Subsequent to the result of Justice Belonwu Visitation Panel Report as related to university autonomy and academic freedom, ASUU embarked on a strike so as to hinder the removal of six university of Lagos academic staff. |
| 2 | 1980-1981 | Furthermore, strikes were carried out to demand sufficient universities findings, to improve the whole university system and stop the issue of poor remuneration, condition of service, and importantly brain drain. |
| 3 | 1983 | Consequently, EUSS (Elongated University Salary Structure) was not implemented as earlier agreed which became an issue for conflict. This issue of non-implementation has become a common denominator for other disputes. |
| 4 | 1985 | Authoritarian decree 16 of 1985 by the military regime was countered by the union with a strike. The decree allows for the National Universities Commission (NUC) to take charge of the Senate and allow Nigerian universities to be regulated and controlled by external authorities. |
| 5 | 1986 | Academic Staff Union of Universities went on strike to fight against the Ibrahim Babangida’s introduction of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP). There was also an outcry by ASUU to the disastrous killing in Zaria of some Ahmadu Bello University students by mobile police. During this time, ASUU was accused by the Federal Government of Nigeria of trying to take over the administration of the country. |
| 6 | 1987 | Again, due to the lack of implementation of Elongated University Salary Scale, ASUU went on strike. ASUU also demanded that the union and the Federal Government of Nigeria should create a joint committee for negotiation. ASUU was eventually proscribed by the then Minister of Education, Prof. JibrilAminu after terminating the appointment of the President of ASUU, Dr. Festus Iyayi for his obstinate opinions about the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin. |
| 7 | 1992 | In 1990 ASUU was reinstated. The failure of negotiations between the union and the Federal Government of Nigeria over the working conditions in Nigerian Universities led ASUU to strike in May and July 1992. In September 1992, an agreement was reached. However, ASUU was again banned in 1993 because it did not agree to the order of Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) to call off industrial action and continue with negotiation. |
| 8 | 1996 | ASUU President Dr. Assisi Asobie was illegally dismissed, therefore leading ASUU to a strike. |
| 9 | 1999-2000 | Lack of federal government support for the university sector and poor remuneration of staff, ASUU declared strike which lasted for 5 months. |
| 10 | 2001 | Strike was held by ASUU for three months in a bid to force government to bring back the 49 sacked university of Ilorin lecturers who were laid off as a result of embarking on a previous strike and also to demand proper funding of the universities. |
| 11 | 2002 | The union embark on another strike due to the non-implementation of the agreements by the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration. However, it lasted for just two weeks. |
| 12 | 2003 | Students of the federal university education had to remain at home for six months as ASUU called on another strike due to previous reached agreements not implemented and also for not properly funding the university system. |
| 13 | 2005 | There was a disruption in academic activities as lecturers went on two weeks’ industrial action. |
| 14 | 2006 | Academic works were paralyzed in all federal university institutions in Nigeria when ASUU declared a warning strike for three days. It however extended to a week. |
| 15 | 2007 | Another strike was called and it was on for three months. |
| 16 | 2008 | ASUU went on strike for a week. The demands included an improved salary structure and the reinstatement of the dismissed university of Ilorin lecturers. |
| 17 | 2009 | The strike which started in June was called off in October. There was an agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government before the call off was made. This agreement later paved way for subsequent strikes. |
| 18 | 2010 | There was ASUU strike that lasted for over 5 months. It started on 22 July and ended in January, 2011. |
| 19 | 2011 | The Federal Government dishonored the 2009 agreement to adequately fund university institutions and implement the 70-year retirement age limits for lectures, therefore the union embarked on 59 days’ strike which was called off in 2012. |
| 20 | 2013 | ASUU embarked on a strike on July 1, 2013, and called off on December 17, 2013. It was over the non-implementation of 2009 agreement they had with the Federal government. |
| 21 | 2014-2016 | Not only were the pending issues not implemented, the federal government went ahead to label the conflict with ASUU as a political conflict by asking the union to negotiate with their individual University Governing Council. Also, the federal government appointed representative to help in negotiation without the power to sign the agreement made in the previous negotiation of 2009. Again, the Nation Assembly in 2012 passed into law the increased retirement age of Professors in the universities from 65 to 70 years. All these led to strike actions between 2014 to 2016. |
| 22 | 2017 | The ASUU national body started an indefinite strike on the 16th of August, 2017 due to noncompliance and fulfillment of the 2016 agreement as reached with the Federal Government. The striking lecturers were demanding better working conditions and fulfillment of their reached agreement and negotiations in 2016 with the Federal Government. The strike was stopped in September, 2017. |
| 23 | 2018 | Federal Government’s inability to meet ASUU demand, led ASUU to declare an indefinite strike on November 4, 2018 and it was called off on 8 February, 2019. It lasted for three months |
| 24 | 2020 | In March, 2020, ASUU had accused the Federal government of failing to implement the agreement they both reached and blaming the functionality of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), which they claimed negates the autonomy for universities and hence proposed for an alternative called the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS). Therefore, there was a commencement of a long industrial action which lasted for 9 months. It was called off in January, 2021 |
| 25 | 2022 | ASUU embarked on a four-week warning strike on February 14, 2022. On March 14, 2022, the union extended the strike by another two months to create enough time for the Federal government to meet all of its demands. The extended period came to an end on May 9, 2022 without positive response from the government. ASUU again added 3 months to give more time to the government. Their demand includes; improved welfare, payment of revitalisation funds, academic autonomy among others. |
Source: ASUU Official Publication, (2017), Author’s compilation, (2022)
Theoretical Framework
For this paper, conflict theory was adopted.Karl Marx (1818-83), a chief proponent of the conflict theory, wrote during the period of quick change and increased violence in Europe and other part of the world, tried to understand the concept of ‘development’ and the various patterns of change in the society. Karl Marx’s conflict change is of the notion that due to society’s never-ending competition for limited resources; there will alwaysbe conflict. The conflict theory posits that social change come about as a result of the antagonism embedded in the society. Conflicts arise when members of a particular society achieve consciousness and become aware of their exploitation (underdevelopment) then takes action against those that are exploiting, so as to bring about change (development).
Marx based his theory on historical and dialectical materialism, posited that socio-economic system (which is the base) would inevitably produce tensions within it leading to its own destruction thereby ushering in complete change, because an unequal social order was maintained through ideological coercion in the system, which created consensus, value acceptability, expectations, and conditions as determined by the bourgeoisie (Mills, 1956). For Marx, the history of previous society is the class struggle history which each time ended in a revolutionary re-constitution or re-construction of the society at large. At a certain stage in the society, the material production force of the society come into conflict with the relations of production which has been existing within the framework of which they have operated hitherto, a period of social revolution beings. The changes in the economic foundation will definitely lead to the transformation of the whole bigger super-structure. Therefore, it is pertinent to distinguish between the economic conditions of production and the religious, political, legal, ideological or philosophic forms in which the society members become conscious and fight the conflict. (Marx 1858).
Another conflict theorist, Ralf Dahrendorf (1969), holds that conflict holds society together, not norms and value. While the structural functionalist tends to emphasise order and stability, conflict theorist like Dahrendorf (1969) characterise society as being in a state of constant chaos and disagreement. He further argued that groups are defined according to their specific interest in a given society. These groups have the potentials to transform into conflict groups, and changes in social structure can occur through their act of transformation. (Dahrendorf, 1969).
Christopher Cramer (2006) in his contribution viewed history as full of conflict, conflict undertaken in the name of progress, whether clothed in socialist, democratic or other ideologies. Though, he warned against using this to justify cruel actions. Cramer insists that conflict is understood as social change which can lead to development. Such change could also be violent. Therefore, events should be placed in their broader historical and deeper sociological context in order to study development through conflict. (Cramer, 2006).
This theory is a veritable source of analysis. This paper undertone cannot be analysed by just seeing it as conflict between proletariat and bourgeoisie, as might be proposed by a kind of Marxian perspective. In part, the Nigerian educational issue has used some aspects of such perspective to argue that the issues identified in the conflict can be seen in relation to the class conflict in Nigeria which has its base in the colonial and immediate post-colonial era. These factors can be said to have shaped the Federal Government of Nigeria and ASUU conflict.
An in-depth insight into the Federal Government of Nigeria and the ASUU dispute will postulate the tenets of the conflict theory of Karl Max (1850) which was intentional on the developmental issue of the society. ASUU has had its own share of economic sabotage from the Federal Government which serves as a basis for their incessant industrial actions in the form of strikes. Strikes are the most relevant aspect of industrial conflict. Strike is defined as the temporary stoppage of work so to press home their demand. The actual occurrence of strike depends on several factors including prevailing circumstances (Adetiba, 2012). The abandonment of work is the only effective way they can communicate their plight to the Federal government. As stated earlier, their demands include but not limited to; increased funding for public universities; revisit of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement; outstanding academic allowances; continuous rise in the number of university institutions; composition of Visitation Team to Federal Universities; and forceful implementation of the Integrated Payroll on Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The conflict between the Federal Government of Nigeria and Academic Staff Union of Universities has come to have something close to a class character, especially as lecturers have come to be overly poverty-stricken due to the negligence of the Federal government. It therefore becomes paramount that the academics cooperate to win the dispute with the Federal government, for according to Karl Marx (1858), they have nothing to lose but their chains, which will pave way for development.
Conclusion
The study was made to demonstrate the positive connotation of conflict in the society. Federal Government of Nigeria and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have been at loggerhead since the inception of ASUU. The frequent suspension of academic exercise in Nigeria Tertiary Institutions by ASUU, remains a national concern, making a review of agreements and demands a continuous process. The analysis made illustrates that the demands by ASUU to the Federal Government of Nigeria, when met will upgrade the present dilapidated nature of the tertiary institutions in the country, thereby propelling the development of the education sector. The study makes relevant theoretical contributions to the body of existing knowledge. Next is the theoretical contribution of the study.
Recommendations
The contemporary World is too compelling for any nation to be left behind in their educational development. The incessant dispute between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria should be resolved amicably and unity of purpose should exist that will lead to the development of the Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. Hence, the following recommendations are advanced:
- Intentional aggressive tertiary educational development policies should be made and implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria so as to achieve a sustainable development in the education sector.
- ASUU should re-draft a more purposeful and realistic demands that are achievable.
- The university body should be given autonomy to pioneer their affairs without undue interference from the Federal government.
Practical contributions
This study has shown that the presence of conflict does not necessarily mean that there will be chaos and violence in the society. It is this study’s view that conflict can actually be a source of development in the society. The development of the education sector in Nigeria can only be achieved through conflict with the Federal Government of Nigeria by the Academic Staff Union of Universities to ensure that the government is pushed into putting out funds to improve the education institutions and welfare of universities staff. The government should be intentional with the development of the education sector and make adequate budgetary and material provisions to the universities to ensure their development and to prevent the incessant strike normally embarked upon by ASUU.
Theoretical contributions
This study has provided several theoretical contributions. It shows empirical proof that the dispute between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government of Nigeria can be analysed looking at it from class struggle and economic disposition perspective which major aim is to develop the tertiary education system in the country. The study’s contribution to literature cannot be over-emphasised as it is among the first of its kind to be conducted in Nigeria that attempts to portray that the conflict between ASUU and the Federal government of Nigeria is not just a selfish dispute but that which will enable the total overhauling of the educational system in Nigeria. In addition, to the best of my knowledge, there is a dearth of literature that view the conflict from the developmental perspective as this study has done, hence, the theoretical contributions cannot be over-emphasised.
References
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Academic Staff Union of Universities (2005). The National Scholar. A Publication of ASUU National Secretariat, Ibadan.
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