Still on ASUU Strike

IT has been over two weeks since the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarkED on an indefinite strike and yet nothing meaningful has come out of ITS meeting with the government. ASUU embarked on thE strike on August 14, accusing the government of failure to redeem the terms of agreement signed in 2009 and the memorandum of understanding ( MOU) endorsed by both parties in 2017. In a recent development, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said a crucial National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of ASUU was going on to decide on the offers made by the Federal Government team last week to persuade its striking members to return to work. The government had, at the Abuja meeting, offered to pay N23billion and a monthly payment of N1.5 billion pending the outcome of the forensic audit being carried out by the Ministry of Finance.

Students are hoping and praying earnestly for the Federal Government to fulfill its promise to ASUU so that the strike can be called off. They were preparing for their examination ( and some universities were already conducting examinations) before the commencement of the strike. Many students whose parents could not afford their transport fare back home due to the fact that they were not anticipating the strike and therefore did not make provisions for it are still roaming the campuses. Hadiza Moh’d Aaly, a 400-level student of Mass Communication Department, Bayero University Kano, said: “I never knew about the strike until I got to school on August 14 and met students seated like people grieving for a lost loved one. I was shocked and confused because I was already making plans for my final examination and graduation. I am pleading with both ASUU and the Federal Government to consider our plight and come to an agreement as soon as possible so that we can go back to school.”

Also, Suzie Pama Bitrus, a 400-level student of Physical and Health Education Department, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna, said: “This strike has really disorganised my plans. Personally, my plan was to graduate before I put to bed but as it is now, I don’t even know anymore. I can’t even travel home for the Sallah as my husband could not raise money for my transport. But why would the Federal Government renege on an agreement when it has the money? I am pleading with the Federal Government to settle the matter so that we can go back to school.” Aondover Eric Msughter, an M.Sc student, in the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano, stated that the strike was indeed a setback, specifically to the M.Sc students who were in the middle of their internal defence. However, now that the strike is ongoing, ASUU should dialogue with the Federal Government in order to ensure that a lasting solution is proffered to avoid a recurrence. Msughter emphasised that ASSU should make sure that there is no compromise this time around, and thar the Federal Government should live up to the expectations of ASUU so that the unending story about strikes in Nigeria can be a forgotten issue.

To this end, it is imperative to acknowledge the efforts thatVice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, have made so far to see that the strike is called off. However, I must confess that their efforts have not yielded any fruit since ASUU boycotted last week’s meeting. They should do more by ensuring that the demands of ASUU are met in the shortest possible time. This will redeem their image and also imprint their names in the sands of time.

• Phillips writes in from Bayero University, Kano