Between Presidency

Between Presidency, NUT and True Federalism

Abbas A. Dikko

To start with, the paraphrase “true federalism” connote to a layman’s understanding, though stand to be corrected, simply a constitutional power sharing arrangements between the tiers of government, Federal and States, where the later enjoys the constitutional and prerogative authority as in the former over certain sectors in the system such as; education, health, agriculture, economy, commerce and industry, tourism, general administration among several others excluding defence, foreign policy, custom to mention just three.

On this note, could one be able to say, there was strict compliance to this constitutional power sharing provision under this our full pledged federal and presidential system of government considering the manner at which the central government maneuver every enabling opportunities to its advantage so long, it favours it financially and otherwise? Of recent, there was the power (Electricity) discourse taken into cognizance of all defying measures to arrest the sorry state in the sector in the past. Experts proffered that, if the energy legislation would be altered to pave way for each components unit in the federation generates its own electricity; the collapsed in the industry would be speedily over-come within the shortest possible time frame.

But, why is the federal government looking in the opposite direction with regards to power and energy, education exclusive in a country and government that proclaimed to be observing true federalism. Not long ago, the government at the center completely embroiled itself into what by constitutional provision, a purely state affairs in Adamawa. Not even bothering the condemnable and constitutional breaches committed by the governor and of course, their advocacy of true federalism and selfless service to the nation. Indeed, there existed several other glaring cases of these magnitude too numerous to mention.

So, why should the educational sector and of all, remuneration of teachers known to be the instruments and power horse of development anywhere in the world that the observance of true federalism became necessary? When I heard the two ministers spoke, that of Information and education, placing too much emphasis on true federalism as being the primary reason why the federal government could not contrived and arrive at an agreement with the Nigerian Union of Teachers. I began to doubt the capacity of Yar’Adua’s administration and its workable modalities to making Nigeria one of the 20 economies in the world by the year 2020 in the absence of purposeful, sound and solid educational base.

However, putting aside the various recommendations of experts in the power sector for the federal government to solicit and canvass for amendment of extant energy laws to allow states to generate its own electricity, Yar’Adua’s government falls back to the previous failed modalities of the Obasanjo’s regime. However, in the likely circumstances they succeeded, the question remain, how could the out-put generated be manage by our supposed qualified indigenous engineers in the next ages to come when the existing system treats the educational sector with disdain and levity, paying lip service to the entitlements and emoluments of the Nigerian teachers?

The teacher’s strike that started with a mere warning has now culminated into a full scale affair due to the lack-luster attitude of the sitting government in handling this disturbing problem. In my opinion and that, I think of many lettered men, I do not see the Nigerian Union of Teachers asking for too much from the federal government of President Umar Musa Yar’Adua of just harmonized minimum wage standard structure that would form the bench-mark for negotiation with the States governments.

At least, Medical association of Nigeria, Pharmacist council of Nigeria, Nursing and midwives association of Nigeria including even the Federal civil service have a standard minimum wage structure that became the yardstick for States own salary structure. Far back 1999/2000, under former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime, there was a minimum wage standard of N7500 for federal civil servant which gave way to different new minimum wage at the states level through-out the country.

Therefore, if other professional bodies mentioned above could have a minimum wage standard as a bench-mark for its states counterpart, one does not see any rational for teachers to be denied similar opportunities considering their prominence and immense contribution in the development of all cadres and segments of manpower in various fields of our nation building. We all passed through them to become what we are today, be you a president, governor, senator, managing director, messenger name them, are all products of a teacher.

The decay in the educational sector is as good as that of the power and are more or less interwoven, you cannot solve one and leave the other. It’s already an established fact that the sector suffered a consequential degeneration, too damning beyond recognition from teacher’s remuneration to teaching aids, infrastructures to facilities, in short all that goes with the system, from elementary to tertiary level which, no serious minded government would neglect or delay in urgently tackling its myriads of problems or needs as seen to have recently been done by the Yar’adua’s administration.

More than two weeks into the teachers strike nation wide there seems no any positive response from the federal government beside threat of using the power at its disposal to clamp down on the Union in its attempt to pickets private schools. Knowing full well that, in the event the Union succeeded, it would have a consequential and negative effect on their wards and children being the major cliental to the private schools establishments, in some cases, owners and proprietors of the same outfits.

Please, can one here define the sincerity and commitment of these our leaders to the plight of the less privileged in the society looking at the manner at which they handle problems that has direct bearing on the larger segment of the society? Take Ghana and South Africa for instance, put their educational system on the scale, in fact, even Gambia that has fewer resources human and natural compare to Nigeria. The result would impress anyone interested to know, free from all forms of sentiments, bias, segregation, class or division because of the commitment of their leadership to the development of the sector and by extension, their countries in broader perspective.

Hardly one hear any strike by either the primary, secondary or tertiary institutions teachers not to even think of entering into any negation with the government of their countries. But in Nigeria, it has become a fashion, if one, group or institution wants to recoup its rights, the only avenue is strike and that too, if only the existing government has no substantial interest or threat to its source of revenue before certain action can be considered to be taken.

This is a country that claimed all manner of hierarchy in this continent, endowed with all manner blessings and opportunities, yet, we lag behind due to leadership inertia and commitment. God save this country!