ASUU should avoid NLC’s disunity

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) should be united in its fight and not behave like the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). NLC embarked on strike to protest against the removal of the fuel subsidy by the current administration but later split and began to fight themselves instead of fighting the government. It was NLC fighting NLC instead of NLC fighting the government. That happened due to the fact that some members of the NLC were allegedly bribed and asked to support the government’s decision. Thereafter, the NLC did not achieve its aim and the removal of the fuel subsidy stands till now. What a big shame.

According to the National President of ASUU, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, chronic under-funding of the education sector through low budgetary allocation, which went from 11 per cent in 2015 to eight per cent in 2016, did not go down well with the union. He also pointed out that the failure of government to implement the 2009 agreement and the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) are some of the reasons for embarking on the warning strike.

I wonder why the Nigerian government, whether PDP or APC, behaves the same way. There is no difference at all. Most people go on strike before government listens to them. Why not resolve issues to prevent strike or protests from occurring?

Nobody should blame ASUU for always embarking on strikes Nigerians should blame the government for always being careless or lackadaisical on issues concerning ASUU. The politicians in the country, who are our leaders, can never go on strike because they are always taking and treating issues that concern them very seriously. But when it comes to issues that concern others, you see them behaving very carelessly.

If ASUU issues can be handled and treated like those of politicians (governors, senators, ministers, house of rep members, president and so on) there will be no strike in our universities. Education is the backbone of any given society.

Students should not be angry at me for taking sides with ASUU. It is true that we (students) don’t like strikes, whether warning strikes or otherwise. But the facts          that strike is the only language government listens to before doing the needful. Let there be strike when it becomes necessary.

Awunah Pius Terwase,

Mpape,

Abuja.