THE peaceful protest by the striking Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and College of Education Academic Staff Union turned awry on Tuesday as Police freely tear-gassed and threw canisters at the protesters and journalists covering the protest.
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The development led to stampede and pandemonium at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja at about 10:13 am, shortly after the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu, came down from his Office to address the protesters.
Wogu, was lucky to have escaped the stampede but some of the federal workers who came out to watch the protest as well as journalists who were covering the protest were dazed by the impact of the dangerous chemicals inhaled.
The lecturers were seen using water and kerosene to rub their faces in order to cushion the effect of the tear gas.
The entire Federal Secretariat was like a war zone on Tuesday with heavy detachment of police that were stationed strategically as early as 7:00am before the protesters stormed the arena.
The lecturers who turned out in their numbers from both Federal and State Polytechnics and Colleges of Education across the country defied initial attempt by the Police to deny them entrance to where Federal Minister of Education and Labour and Productivity were located.
ASUP President, Dr. Chibuzor Asomugha and COEASU President, Mr. Asagha Nkoro led the protest with hundreds of members of the two unions carrying placards of various inscriptions and chanting I.T.T (International Thief, Thief) lyrics of the late bohemian Afro King, Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
The first port of call was at the Federal Ministry of Education where they lay siege and demanding for the resignation of the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike.
Wike, was however, shielded in his Office with heavy presence of security. The entrance gate into the Ministry was locked and barricaded by the police to protesters from gaining access into the Ministry.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: “Wike must go”, “Wike is wicked”, “Government is systematically killing teacher-education”, “Give us Polytechnic Commission”, “Bring the students back to school”, “we are not slaves but intellectuals”, “Implement our CONTISS 15 for us now”, “we need better conditions service-stop enslaving us”, “FG please equip our libraries for academic growth”, and “what happens to 2009 ASUP, FG Agreement?”, among others.
Some of the protesters said the prolonged strikes simply show the irresponsibility of the leaders who have no regard for the ordinary Nigerian.
It would be recalled that ASUP has been on strike for the past 10 months while COEASU have been on strike for the past 4 months over failure of the Federal Government to implement the 2009 agreement reached with the unions.
On the ASUP, the four major issues include release of the White paper on Visitation to Federal Polytechnics, the completion of the constitution of the governing councils for federal polytechnics, the migration of the lower cadre on CONTISS 15 salary scale, and the commencement of the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Polytechnics.
The Union suspended the strike, and gave government a one month time frame to resolve these issues. But it was not until ASUP resumed its strike in last that the Federal Government commenced Needs Assessment and completed the constitution of the governing councils for federal polytechnics. ASUP is now insisting that all 13 issues must be attended to before the polytechnic lecturers will go back to class.
COEASU on the other hand, is fighting for the first issue which is the non- implementation of Peculiar Academic Allowance to the tune of N5.6 billion, migration of the lower cadre to the CONPCASS 15, imposition of integrated IPPIS, inadequate finding of the teaching practice, non- accreditation of NCE programmes, non-release of Whitepaper on Visitation Panel Reports 2011, non-implementation of CONPCASS in some states, non-institution of dual mode which allows colleges of education the autonomy to award degrees in core education courses to run concurrently with the NCE programmes among others.
However, government was only able to address two issues namely : inauguration of the governing council and the needs assessment committees.
Reacting to the use of dangerous chemicals to disperse the protesting lecturers, COASU President said, the action of the Police was “barbaric and uncivilised” in a “so-called” democratic set up like Nigeria.
Nkoro, said despite the treatment meted on them by Nigeria Police, the strike would continue until when the Federal Government meets all their demands.
“They didn’t just use tear gas, water and even guns to threaten us. And they say we are in democracy for lecturers who have been out of school for 10 months. If you decide to attack us when we are peaceful and unharmed, it is a terrible thing. We are not going to give up, we would still find a way to submit our protest letters at the National Assembly, if they want kill us they should kill us.
“The funniest aspect is that the Policemen that are shooting guns and gas canisters also have their children in our schools. It is terrible thing”.
“We will not back down. If they want to kill us they should kill us. The unfortunate thing is even some of the police doing this to us, some of their children are at home because of the strike. Their own colleagues are also there, struggling to get NCE, OND and HND and they are being sent to shoot you. It is a very terrible thing in this country; in a democracy and why are we saying we don’t want military rule,” he said.
Minister of Labour and Productivity, who summoned courage to come out and speak to the protesters, said that Federal Government was deeply concerned that the Polytechnics and Colleges of Educations are at home for this long time and assured that effort was already on top gear to fully resolve the issues at stake.
In his earlier address, Minister of Labour said “The truth is that we are almost there. I want to reassure you that the Federal Government is doing its best. And I want to assure you that immediately we leave here, I will go with your leaders to discuss and conclude. I cannot discuss with everybody. I cannot discuss with everybody”.
He appealed to them to allow the leaderships of both unions to discuss with him, “I am happy about the way you conduct yourself, you are not violent so allow your leaders to discuss with me, at the end of the procession. Before evening you will get an answer”.
But shortly after the Minister left to his Office for the train of the protesters to leave for the National Assembly, where ASUP President said two letters were to be delivered to the Senate President, David Mark and Speaker of the Federal House of Assembly, Aminu Tambuwal, the unexpected began to happen.
First, hot water from a stationed water tanker by the entrance into the National Assembly was spattered on the protesters and while trying beating retreat, this was followed with teargas and canisters were thrown into the mammoth crowd.
Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Youths Affairs, Mr. Jude Imagwe, while addressing the students assured them of the Federal Government commitment in ensuring they go back to school soonest.
“The Federal Government is taking urgent steps in ensuring the lingering strike action is resolved soon. I assure you that you will soon resume in no time”, he said.
The protracted strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Staff Union have led to near total collapse of technical and teacher education in Nigeria. For about 10 months down the lane, polytechnics’ students have been at home while students of the Colleges of Education have continued to tag along without an end in sight.
What remains mind-boggling is the tepid approach by the Federal Government toward resolution of the crises. Analysts have accordingly said this was an indictment on the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan under whose watch these institutions are being grounded.
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