ASUU-FG, WHO IS TO BLAME FOR THE INTERMINABLE STRIKE

It is well known to everybody that every student wish to come to a finish line, and embark on a new mission. It is similar with all university students.

By: Najib Ibrahim Lawan

It is well known to everybody that every student wish to come to a finish line, and embark on a new mission. It is similar with all university students. They hope to reach the end of their course session according to its normal period.

Unfortunately, as a result of ASUU's languish strike, four years course, hikes to six years, while six years course, extends to eight years or even more than that, and the FG is the course of the hindarance as it shows lackadaisical manner towards ASUU's demands and the educational sector at large. Is there any country that thrives without education? I am sure the answer is capital 'NO!'.

Nigeria is very rich, but not so developed like other African countries because its rulers are unjust. Squarely, although the country is in recession, but it can afford more than what ASUU demands.

 Tragically, the Country is mismanaged by embezzlers. They loot the Country's cake and tuck it into foreign banks. They send their children to foreign universities which cost them large amount of money that can solve the country's problem. They do not only destroyed the educational sector, but mars other sectors as well.

ASUU has been in dispute with the FG for a very long time because the FG refuses to meet these demands of ASUU: Funding the revitalisation of public universities, Earned Academic Allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and promotion arrears.

Other demands are: the renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FG agreement and the Inconsistency Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System(IPPIS).

ASUU claims that it is fighting for no one, but the university students. But at a time like this, students interest is not being considered with the required rationale. ASUU should not have embarked on the current strike; which began since February 14th, because the languishing strike propagates nothing but dragging back the students and collapsing the educational sector at large.

As a result of the interminable strike, a great number of students have steered their lives to bad conditions. The strike has led them to vicious crimes because their minds are engulfed with negative thoughts. It says: "And idle mind, is a devil's playground." idleness has driven many students to become thieves, rapists, and take heavy drugs. Who prompted all these vicious acts? FG and ASUU. Yes, they are, it is an  undeniable fact. Because if FG renegotiated with ASUU, the acts might not continue and if ASUU did not embark on the strike, and leave students attending classes while they continue persuading FG to meet its demands, the acts might not happened.

If ASUU is really fighting for Nigerian students as it is claiming, so at this time, it should allow students to get back to their classes while its leadership rein to all stakeholders tirelessly to ensure that goverment keeps its part of the agreement by making budgetary allocation that will cover the financial commitments to university lecturers and meet their other demands, even if it is half percent of them.

Finally, as the strike produces no fruitful outcome since it began, in fact, it worsens the situation. Therefore, I am pleading with ASUU to have a second thought. Calling off the strike would be better now. I am totally supporting the striking lecturers to endure fighting for their demands while university education continues. I urge FG, for the sake of humanity, for the sake of education, to renegotiate with ASUU and meet its demands.

The pen trust.