The Federal University of Abuja held its 34th inaugural lecture on 28th March. The prestigious lecture attended by respected dignitaries was delivered by renowned Professor Isaac Nnamdi Obasi of the department of Public Administration.
Speaking on the topic, ‘’Public Policy in the Management of Industrial Relations,’’ Prof. Obasi said that the study of industrial relations can be justified on academic, practical/professional grounds, as well as on grounds of wider benefits to society.
On the dynamics of ASUU – Federal Government Relations, he said that during the first quarter of a century (1978 – 2003) of ASUU’s existence, there was hardly any academic session in the history of the Nigerian university system that did not experience either a major or minor disruption of the academic calendar as a result of a national or local (branch) strike action by academics, or one form of protests and demonstrations by students.
‘’In a study on ASUU Government Conflict in Nigeria, Obasi (1991) revealed that the root of the numerous ASUU strikes, lay beyond their widely believed causes. Generally, the frequent strikes were usually attributed to four causes namely the underfunding of universities, the erosion of university autonomy and academic freedom, poor conditions of service, and lastly poor physical conditions of work (decaying infrastructure). But according to Obasi, these causes were mere superficies or manifestations of a deep rooted fundamental problem that lay in the structure and character of Nigeria’s political economy. And this fundamental problem he argued is the mismanagement of the political economy by the ruling class as represented by corrupt successive federal governments. ASUU leadership attributed this mismanagement to the nature of the prevailing capitalist social order which it strongly reprobated and constantly challenged for its exploitative and oppressive character. On the strength of the evidence then, Obasi concluded that that the resolution of ASUU – Government conflict was intractable and would continue to remain so because of the asymmetric and structure-oriented character of the conflict,’’ he said.
Since most successive governments in Nigeria have been largely conservative, his recommendation is that public policy in wage fixing should reflect among other things a progressive outlook than the present reactionary conservative outlook that has kept the working class struggling with starvation wages. The Nigeria workers, he said, needs a decent wage in a decent work environment in line with International Labour Organization’s (ILO) standards. As far as ILO is concerned, he said, work among other things is a source of personal diginity and family stability. Presently, Nigeria’s minimum wage he said is a far cry from this requirement.
The Man Prof. Obasi
Prof. Isaac Nnamdi Obasi was born in the year 1956 to the family of Mr. Innocent and Mrs. Fidelia Obasi of Ezuhu-Nguru, in Aboh-Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State. Prof. Obasi is the third out of six children. Despite the fact that his parents had no formal classroom education, they knew the value of education which spurred them to ensure that their children got formal education despite the incapacitating effects of the Nigerian civil war. Today, we are all witnesses to their little effort in caring and nursing of young Isaac several years ago.
His Education
He started his primary school education at the LA Primary School, Ezuhu-Nguru in 1963. He later transferred and completed his primary education at the All Saints Primary School, Eke-Nguru after the civil war in 1970. He started his secondary education in 1971 at the Mbaise Trade School (MTS) at Udo-na-Obizi in Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State where he did class one. He later moved to Emekuku Comprehensive School, Owerri in 1972 where he complete both his secondary and technical education in 1975. Earlier in December 1974 and January 1975 just before completing class 5 (which was the highest secondary education class then), young Isaac sat for the London General Certificate of Education (GCE) as an external candidate and obtained 5 credits. In class 5 (June 1975), he again sat successfully for the City and Guilds of London (Technical) Certificate in Electrical Installation Work and Regulation and made Distinction with A1 in all subjects. This achievement distinguished him with a Certificate of Merit for Academic Excellence as the best Final Year student in his class.
In his thirst for higher education, he applied and got admission to study Political Science at the University of Ibadan in 1978 and subsequently graduated in 1981with a Second Class Upper Division. Again, his outstanding performance earned him the prestigious Sir Isaac Dina Memorial Prize as the best Political Science Student in Public Administration in the class of 1981. Subsequently, he did the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the College of Education, Akwanga (then in Plateau State).
His love for scholastic adventure and the experience he garnered during the mandatory National Youth Service sharpened his focus to chart his path in academics and this led him to the then University of Sokoto (now Usmanu Danfodiyo University) in the year 1982, as a Graduate Assistant. After a year, he proceeded on Study Leave to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) where he obtained an M.Sc degree in Public Administration and graduated in January 1985. Two years later, precisely in 1987, he proceeded to the same university, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) to acquire his Ph.D degree in the same discipline and graduated in January 1991. During his doctoral studies, Isaac Obasi got the highly competitive grant for Ph.D Thesis Writing from the Council for the Development of Economic and Social Research in Africa (CODESRIA), Dakar, Senegal.
Work Experience
Dr. Obasi rose through the ranks and rapidly too to the position of Senior Lecturer in October 1991, at the then University of Sokoto and this earned him another award tagged ‘Special Salary Increment for Outstanding contributions in Research and Publications’ by the University Management. As God graciously permitted, Dr. Obasi was later appointed a visiting Senior Lecturer (on Sabbatical) by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) during the 1993/94 academic session. Returning to Sokoto after the visiting appointment, Dr. Obasi finally decided to join UNN in May 1996.
By January 2001, through his glaring research records Dr. Obasi was head-hunted from the University of Nsukka and appointed the pioneer Programme Officer of the Social Science Academy of Nigeria (SSAN), Abuja (2001-2003). However in January 2004, through another head-hunt, he joined the services of the University of Botswana, Gaborone in Southern Africa where he rose to the rank of Associate Professor in January 2008. While serving the University of Botswana Prof. Obasi performed his job so creditably well that he was given special recognition through A Note of Appreciation ‘for defending and implementing University Regulations very ably as Coordinator of MPA/MAPIR programmes in the Department of Political and Administrative Studies (PAS).
And after five years of distinguished career in that University, he returned to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in January 2009, and thereafter transferred his services to the University of Abuja in April 2009. By October 2011, he was promoted to the rank of a Professor of Public Policy and Industrial Relations in the Department of Public Administration of this great institution.
As a consummate researcher, Prof. Obasi secured during his career, numerous research grants from international and national donor agencies including but not limited to the following (a) Social Science Research Council (SSRC), New York, (b) Social Science Council of Nigeria (Now Social Science Academy of Nigeria, SSAN) Abuja, (c) Consortium of Foundations: MacArthur, Ford, Rockefeller, and Carnegie Foundations with grant administered by SSAN, (d) Association of African Universities, (AAU), Accra, Ghana, and (e) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Outstanding Achievements
As an international scholar, Prof. Obasi was in 2006 granted a visiting Fellowship at the State University of New York (SUNY), at Buffalo, and also appointed an Affiliate Scholar at the Program on Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE) at another State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany, USA. And as an internationally recognized researcher, Prof. Obasi was inter alia a grantee of the Association of African Universities (AAU) under its Study Programme on Research on Higher Education Policy and Management. This award later served as a veritable spring-board for many other research engagements in Africa and other countries of the world. Prof. Obasi has been a pioneer and foremost researcher on Public Policy and Private Higher Education (Private Universities) in Nigeria and Africa.
Prof. Obasi has distinctively served as Consultant to the Department for International Development (DFID); United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); European Union (EU); The World Bank; the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), UNESCO Headquarters, Paris; and to many other national organizations. He served as Lead consultant to the team that developed the foundational training Modules for the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, (PSIN), Abuja. He also distinctively served as the Lead Consultant for the Nigeria 2015 MDGs End-point Report. He equally served as Lead Consultant for the preparation of the Compendium of Public Service Reforms in Nigeria 2015-2017.
In recognition of his professional and academic contributions, Prof. Obasi was appointed a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants (FIMC), as well as a Fellowof the Institute of Policy Management Development (FIPMD).
Family Life
Prof. Obasi has been married and is still happily married to Prof. (Mrs.) Susan Obasi of the Faculty of Education of this great University. They are blessed with four wonderful children; 2 boys and two girls and all of them are graduates with one them having, an MSc degree in Media and Communication from the Pan Atlantic University, Lekki, Lagos.
Prof. Obasi is a man who enjoys contemplative life. His main hobbies are reading newspapers, writing on national issues, and listening to news and other Television programmes.