Like the saying “When two elephants fight, the grasses
suffered the pains” it is no more new even to a 3 years old
child the wrath that befall education sector in our their
country Nigeria because of the long sitting at home of their
brothers/sisters which has resulted into a lot of contempt
among the family members.
Since July 1, 2013 when the struggle commenced, many
Nigerian students believed that there is going to be total
overhaul in education sector in Nigeria and thus gave total
support for the striking lecturers by calling on the FG for
immediate resolution with ASUU, staged protest almost in
all the states across the country including FCT and many
others that can be mentioned, this and many other
interventions from the elder statesmen in the country gave
sudden rise of NEED Assessment Committee from the FG
chaired by the Benue state governor Gabriel suswam which
after series of meetings for months committed to inject 100b
into varsities in year 2013 and 200b for the next 4 years,
and also promised to offer ASUU 30b for their controversial
earned allowance.
During all these processes of negotiations, ASUU NEC met
almost every week to examine and review the FG offer and
decide their next line of actions.
From every part of the country, students, parents, civil
organisations, NGOs, activists, religion leaders, and many
stakeholders from all sectors in the country agitate
immediate implementation of ASUU and F.G 2009 joint
agreement, some even went on fasting and prayer while
many other sector’s workers threatened solidarity strike
action in their respective sectors not minding the risk of
losing their jobs.
With the intervention of the highest authority in the country,
the president and top government functionaries took it upon
themselves and had a VIGIL of 13 HOURS without dozing
with ASUU members, it was reported that during the
meeting, ASUU asked for private discussion within
themselves for about 20-25 minutes to review the new
federal government offer before they can call off the strike.
However, ASUU president conditioned the government to
also pay up their accumulated outstanding salaries as at
the time of the strike which was initially put on hold by the
government.
Mr president was also commended by the union for being
thefirst sitting president to dialogue with ASUU. Students
hoped that immediately after the meeting, ASUU president
will declare the urgent termination of the strike since all
ASUU delegates at the meeting are professors and brain
box, they can say the mind of their people, of course, as a
president, you are to speak on behalf of your people in their
absent since there were other notable stakeholders among
the delegates present at the meeting, but reverse was the
case as Dr. fagae insisted in consulting his people before
calling off the strike. Are those professors ‘’educational
experts and nations builders’’ not capable enough to
represent and speak for their members? if not why must
they be choosing to be their mouth piece during the meeting
with the federal government?.
It was learnt that at their various chapters congresses
which Dr. Fagae insisted to be conducted, majority voted for
immediate suspension of the strike without further
conditions. ASUU NEC meeting was held which claimed the
life of Prof. Festus Iyayi while proceeding to the venue as
many students also died at the course of the strike, it was
also gathered that Iyayi was from Benin zone of ASUU which
supported the continuation of the strike.
During the process of ASUU talks with FG, however,
students, parents, civil organisations, NGOs, activists,
religion leaders and many stakeholders from all sectors,
even both living and non-living things in the country have
begged ASUU to call off the strike for the sake of the
students’ future and Iyayi’s demise.
The continuous strike action makes ASUU to totally loose
public sympathy, If ASUU had not stated that as a condition
for calling off, it is undoubtable that their money will be
paid despite the fact that ASUU president hesitate to
mention that to the president during their meeting.
Unfortunately, ASUU had forgotten the negative irreversible
implications as a result of the strike action. Apart from
sitting recklessly at home, like the saying “an idle hand is a
devils workshop” many students had indulge in
prostitutions, armed robbery, kidnapping, rapping, unwanted
pregnancy, many students had been trafficked among others
as all these becomes problem to the individual home and
the society at large. Apart from the fact that the strike had
altered the set time, it also caused them to loose hope in
their teachers who had taught them moral behaviour not to
be materialistic at the expense of societal future.
Many parents whose child supposed to have graduated as
at when due have however incurred additional educational
cost. Many medical students who supposed to have been
practising, in order to bring relief to the society were in
hostage by the strike, market women cannot but count their
loses which at the same time have negative impact on their
family.
Many of the decision makers in education sector today
including the president himself were former ASUU members,
the former education minister who is a lecturer at Bayero
University find it difficult to facilitate the involvement of mr
president. It thus means that ASUU is the problems of its
self, even if Dr. fagae becomes Nigeria president today,
ASUU will still go on strike of not less than 6 months. We
are all Nigerians, changes will surely come one day but it’s
a gradual process, nobody even the Nigerian students
cannot sacrifice their future to bring sudden change to
Nigeria, but if it’s a gradual process, everyone will be
affected with little or no pains.
Written and Edited by:
Comr. Oloruntoba Jamiyu Mathew
{mathewtoba@gmail.com}
