Opinion
ASUP: Doing The Needful
When the dispute
between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) was resolved late last year, which resulted in the calling-off of the five-month old industrial action the union embarked upon, many Nigerians thought the problem that plagued tertiary education in the country had been put to rest finally.
They were mistaken. The respite was only for university students. Polytechnic lecturers embarked upon a similar action as the dispute between ASUU and the federal government was about to be resolved.
Polytechnic lecturers under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, have been on industrial action in the last three or four months, since efforts to resolve their differences with the federal government have proved abortive.
As a step towards resolving the issue, the federal government had, in one of the meetings held with the striking polytechnic lecturers, agreed to pay N20.4 billion to offset what the lecturers were being owed which emanated from their new Salary Structure, that is, the Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Structure, CONTISS, which is one of the demands made by the teachers.
If what the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, revealed that the N20.4 billion had been approved by the government and also included in this year’s budget is anything to go by, then there should be hope for an end to the strike. What has to be done now is for both parties to agree on the modalities of the payment, and that does not call for delay.
However, with such move by the government, one had expected that the strike should have been called off long ago. That appears to be in the realm of speculation as the lecturers are insisting on continuing with the strike on the grounds that the federal government only agreed to meet three out of the four issues they raised.
According to sources, the four issues include: setting up of a Needs Assessment Committee for the polytechnics; implementation of the CONTISS salary structure and the constitution of governing councils of six federal polytechnics. They also agreed that government should release a white paper on the visitation of polytechnics across the country.
What appears to be playing out in the strike is the lack of trust by the lecturers in the government. If government has truly met three out of the four demands, I don’t see any reason why the industrial action should not be called off if the lecturers truly trust the government.
Since the federal government has admitted that it was working on the white paper which is the fourth demand that remains unmet, they should expedite action on it. After all, what does it take to produce a white paper if commitment is employed into it?
Contrary to the views expressed by some Nigerians that lecturers in tertiary institutions in the country embark on frequent strike actions for selfish reasons, I think it has to do with government’s poor approach to the welfare of lecturers and inadequate financing of the tertiary institutions we have. Lecturers always declare industrial action in order to strengthen and improve the quality of education in the country.
This is why the demands of the polytechnic lecturers should be met as quickly as possible. They have to be given what they want by fully implementing the agreement. Whenever education matters are brought before the government, they are met with cold shoulders. Since the only language the government understands is strike, labour unions quickly resort to one in order to get prompt attention.
Everything must be done to end the strike action by polytechnic lecturers, at least for the sake of the students who have spent more than three months outside the campus. Things have not been easy for the students as well. Apart from their distorted academic calendar, some of them actually feel uncomfortable staying away from the classroom.
Like some of their university counterparts who perpetrated crimes when ASUU was on strike, polytechnic students are likely to do the same if the strike action is prolonged unnecessarily.
Strikes have become so rampant in the education sector, especially in tertiary institutions, that education is fast losing value in a way that seems irreversible. No nation can develop in the face of this development.
Therefore, the government has to open fresh dialogue with the striking polytechnic teachers. This is not the time for grand standing and rhetoric. The Education Minister must swing into action and do the needful to arrest the situation before it deteriorates.
Arnold Alalibo
Opinion
Checking Herdsmen Rampage
Do the Fulani herdsmen have an expansionists agenda, like their progenitor, Uthman Dan Fodio? Why are they everywhere even the remotest part of other areas in Nigeria harassing, maiming, raping and killing the owners of the land?”
In a swift reaction, The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) decried and strongly condemned the invasion by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
In his denunciation, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke described the incident as very unfortunate and deeply troubling, warning against a recurrence of the violence experienced in Benue State. “The killing of yesterday is bad and very unfortunate. We are getting preliminary information about how the herders gained access to the farmland, and it appears some hoodlums may be collecting money and granting access illegally.”
He called on the Hausa community in Rivers State to intervene swiftly to prevent further attacks.
“We want the Hausa community in Rivers State to take urgent action to ensure these issues are resolved”.
But will such appeal and requests end the violent disposition of the Fulani herdsmen? It is not saying something new that the escalating threat and breach of peace across the country by the Fulani herdsmen or those suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, leaves much to be desired in a country that is bedevilled by multi-dimensional challenges and hydra-headed problems.
Some upland Local Government Areas of Rivers State, such as Etche, Omuma, Emohua, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Abua, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, have severally recounted their ordeals, as herdsmen invaded farmlands, destroyed crops, raped female farmers and killed protestant residents.
Again the wanton destruction of lives and properties which no doubt has overwhelmed the Nigerian Police, makes the clamour for State Police, indispensable. The National Assembly should consider the amendment of the Constitution to allow States to have their Statutory policing agencies.
Opinion
Is Nigeria Democratic Nation?
As insurgency has risen to an all time high in the country were killings has now grown to be a normal daily activity in some part of the nation it may not be safe to say that Nigeria still practices democracy.
Several massacres coming from the Boko Haram and the herdsmen amongst all other insurgencies which have led to the destruction of homes and killing, burning of communities especially in the northern part of the country. All these put together are result of the ethnic battles that are fought between the tribes of Nigeria and this can be witnessed in Benue State where herders and farmers have been in constant clashes for ages. They have experienced nothing but casualties and unrest.
In the month of June 13-14, the Yelwata attack at the Guma Local Government Area by suspected gunmen or herdsmen who stormed the houses of innocent IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) claiming the lives of families, both adults and children estimated to be 200 victims. They were all burnt alive by these unknown gunmen.
This has been recorded as one of the deadliest insurgencies that had happened in recent years. Some security personnel that were trying to fight the unknown gunmen also lost their lives.
Prior to the Yelewata attack, two days before the happening, similar conflict took place in Makurdi on June 11, 2025. 25 people were killed in the State. Even in Plateau State and the Southern Kaduna an attack also took place in the month of June.
All other states that make up the Middle Belt have been experiencing the farmers/herders clash for years now and it has persisted up till recent times, claiming lives of families and children, homes and lands, escalating in 2025 with coordinated assaults.
Various authorities and other villagers who fled for safety also blamed the herdsmen in the State for the attack that happened in Yelwata community.
Ehebha God’stime is an Intern with The Tide.
Opinion
How Reliable Is AI
We all know the uprising introduction of artificial intelligence in this age. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of computer science that focuses on creating machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. AI is rapidly evolving and is already integrated into many aspects of our daily lives, from recommendation systems on streaming platforms to autonomous vehicles and virtual assistants.
Artificial intelligence systems are imbued with abilities like learning, reasoning, problem solving, decision making etc. AI aims to develop systems that can “think” and “act” in ways that resemble human cognitive abilities.
In as much as the benefits of AI are vast, there lies in-between certain effects on humans.
Students now employ the use of AI for projects and assignments rather sorting out information themselves for their own learning.
The emergence of AI has caused many to be reliant on AI systems for work
Currently, Mr. Elon Reeve Musk, the CEO of Tesla is currently working on the Tesla bot project also known as Optimus. This is AI going to the next level; Creating a humanoid robot for various tasks.
Hubert Dreyfus (Philosopher and Critic of AI). Though not strictly a psychologist, Dreyfus’s influential critiques heavily impacted the psychological and philosophical discourse around AI. In works like ‘What Computers Can’t Do”, he presented a pessimistic assessment of AI’s progress and challenged the foundational assumptions of the field, arguing that human intelligence is not merely information processing and cannot be fully replicated by digital computers. He critiqued the “unbridled optimism” of early AI pioneers like Herbert A. Simon.
One will agree that the emergence of AI has made most researchers reluctant to sort for information, which makes them a hundred percent dependent on AI.
While many embrace the technology for its potential to enhance practice and research, we need to concurrently emphasize the critical need for ethical guidelines, addressing biases, ensuring patient privacy, and understanding the unique aspects of human cognition and empathy that AI currently cannot replicate.
Israel Martins Osene, is an intern with The Tide.
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