ASUU strike and need for stability in universities

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 their meetings with the government concerning the strike. ASUU, at its NEC meeting of 3rd and 4th November, 2018, at the FUTA, resolved to resume the national wide strike action it suspended in September, 2017, yet nothing tangible was done to avert the situation.

The National President of the ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, had said that all entreaties made to the federal government to honour the agreement with the union fell on deaf ears and they had no other alternative but to embark on strike. This is bad for the students, as it has prevented them from attending lectures and writing examination according to schedule.

Some students who cannot afford transportation fare back home due to the fact that they were not anticipating the strike at this time, are still roaming around the campuses aimlessly. This is not good for our educational system.

I acknowledge the efforts by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and that of the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, in tackling the issue, however they need to do more so that the matter can be resolved as soon as possible. The idle mind is the devil’s workshop, therefore, everything necessary should be done to ensure that the students return to school and are occupied. Stability in the education sector is necessary for the development of the nation.