Students in Nigerian tertiary institutions are getting wearier by the day of the eight-month-long strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Not once, not twice have their hopes been dashed by the outcome of the series of meetings ASUU has held with the Federal Government since the strike began in March 2020.
To make matters worse, it appears that the strike is only just beginning and would not be called off any time soon as the academic union has now advised its members to seek an alternative source of income for their survival while the strike lasts.
The union vowed to sustain the strike until FG meets their demands while asking students and parents not to expect public universities to resume any time soon.
Read more: What the Federal Government can do to end the ASUU strike
This was disclosed by the union’s Abuja zonal coordinator, Prof. Theophilus Lagi, at a press conference held at the University of Abuja campus, Tuesday. The Abuja chapter of the academic union accused FG of a lack of commitment to addressing the issues that led to the eight-month-long strike.
Prof. Theophilus said:
“Today, we wish to let Nigerians especially our students and parents know that there is no hope in sight to ending or suspending the ASUU strike that has lingered for several months as Government is yet to show serious commitment towards addressing our core demands.
“Our members have been advised to seek other legitimate means of survival as the Government has not released salaries withheld since February 2020.”
As usual, ASUU’s last meeting with the Federal Government ended in yet another deadlock due to FG’s insistence that the union registers all its members on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) before they can get their payment arrears; an arrangement ASUU vehemently opposes because according to the union, it does not favour its members.
As an alternative payment system, ASUU proposed the Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), which was rejected by the FG, resulting in a stalemate. In addition to that, several other conditions by the union tabled before the government are yet to be met.
So what then is the hope of the Nigerian student, seeing that ASUU has vowed not to return to the classroom as FG won’t budge? Sadly, they already have an automatic extra year, coupled with the fact that some of their plans are put on hold due to the strike. At this rate, things are obviously not looking pretty for Nigeria’s education sector.
It is no longer news that constant strikes have become a norm in Nigerian public institutions of higher learning, and it is a problem that requires an urgent solution. ASUU and FG need to find a way to reach a compromise by all means to salvage the country’s education sector and the future of Nigerian students.
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