I would like to first ask if any of the children of our political leaders is schooling in any of Nigeria’s public universities.
If the answer is YES, then we are in deep sh_t altogether for allowing the future of our young generations to be in jeopardy for nearly one complete academic session. If the answer is NO, then I have no doubt that the Nigerian political elite do NOT care about the common man, especially our young generation, our academics, and the education system at large.
How on earth could they allow a complete academic year to go in vain in the name of striking lecturers, shutting down our universities and keeping our students at home for several months. Thanks to the Senate president and the Speaker of the House of Representatives for making some effort recently, but that is not enough. Our children must go back to classes, and the lecturers resume work asap!
It is a shame that the government is very insensitive to educational development despite the fact that the vice president and the Chief of Staff to the President are both professors.
To the leadership of ASUU, please enough of this Nickelodeon show with the federal government. Try and shift some ground to allow peace to reign and let our students go back to classes. Not all fights are worth our energy. You are fighting for the revitalization of the public universities, but unfortunately, the public you are fighting for is not even aware of or fully understands what you are fighting for, so why wasting so much energy on this issue? You should rather focus on the welfare of your members.
Let the government handle the university infrastructure at its own will so that the public could understand your points, if it means increasing the tuition fee, let it be. I am sure the public would understand ASUU’s struggles for them better, but now, in my opinion, it is a futile fight with endless results. This vicious cycle of strikes over-and-over and stagnating the progress of our students must stop. Let there be a new scenario in ASUU’s struggle, not the same pattern that has not been yielding a lasting solution for decades.
Both government and ASUU must make some sacrifices/compromise to reach a lasting solution in this tussle.
Khalid Garba Mohammed wrote from Kano.
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