Former chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the University of Port Harcourt and Pofessor of Sociology, Prof. Mark Anikpo, has condemned Federal Government’s action in pulling out of negotiation with the union.
Prof. Anikpo in a chat with The Tide on Tuesday, said the government’s action betrays its posture not to improve the learning environment in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
The university don, explained that the principle of collective bargaining underscores the need for a joint negotiation between the two parties but frowned over government’s action in pulling out of the negotiation without any agreement.
He averred that such stance is capable of worsening the situation adding, “I don’t think the government and the people have well understood the problem.”
The Sociology Professor argued that the wide disparity between wages earned by university teachers and politicians do not augur well with the system.
“What we are asking is for a basic minimum to make the universities work,” Anikpo declared, “so I don’t really think ASUU demand is only about salary besides if its then the country can afford it”.
Prof. Anikpo maintained that there was need to provide a special remuneration for intellectuals in the society, as a way of giving them a pride of place in the polity.
Prof. Anikpo, who also heads the Centre for Ethnic and Conflict Studies (CENTEC) in the University of Port Harcourt, disclosed that the body is compiling a data base in order to provide solutions to the impasse in the Niger Delta.
His words: “We are setting up a publication that would examine the crisis in totality”.
The university lecturer lamented that ethnicity and all kinds of intra-tribal conflicts were hindering the development of the nation and stressed the need for a peace policy to tackle the menace.
He stressed that when the peace policy is adopted, it would provide the frame work to settle and understand the dynamics of social problems in the country.