By Gabriel Dike, Isioma
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), yesterday, blocked the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in protest against the continued closure of the nation’s universities over the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
As the strike enters the seventh month with no end in sight, the students in the South-West zone in their hundreds baricaded the expressway at the Sagamu interchange in Ogun State, leading to gridlock on the ever busy road, a situation which left many motorists stranded with their passengers. Entreaties did not yield any result as the protesting studentd insisted that they would not leave until their demands were met by the government.
ASUU had on February 14 embarked on strike on the premise of inadequate funding of public universities, among other demands. The seven-month strike has grounded academic activities in public universities, threatened academic session, affected senate meetings, admission exercises, supervision of final year students’ projects, matriculation and even convocation ceremony.
The protesting students, armed with placards of various inscriptions, chanted solidarity songs, saying that they were tired of staying at home and demanded an end to the strike. They insisted that the Federal Government should yield to the demands of their lecturers for them to call off the strike.
In a statement issued to the press on the protest ground, coordinator and public relations officer of the zone, Adegboye Emmanuel and Giwa Temitope, the students said the Federal Government led by the President Muhammadu Buhari was failing in its promises to revamp education.
“There is no point arguing about who is at fault or what is to be done, it is very clear that the rulers do not care. As it is today, no higher institution in Nigeria is world-class, yet, our so-called public servants travel all over the world spending billions to send their kids abroad for studies.
“As major stakeholders in the educational sector, we are the ones who can save ourselves. We have monitored the yearnings of students from campus to campus through their social media platforms and also in their public writings. Students all over Nigeria stand with ASUU. Our lecturers suffer the same hardships and mal-development we suffer. The staff houses are as bad as the students’ hostels. In South Africa, a professor’s laboratory is far more equipped than that of any university in Nigeria.
“History has been killed and undermined, so we the youths, do not know where we are coming from not to talk of knowing where we are headed. But we will not lament anymore. The new leadership of NANS is here to work with students to achieve our set aims and objectives. We believe that the student movement has its place in history. It is a task that we vow to fulfill. We will never let Nigerian students down!”
Mr Abidemi Adeleke, NANS chairman, Oyo State chapter, said the students’ action followed unresolved impasse between the Federal Government and the university lecturers.
“The protest was due to the lingering impasse between the Federal Government and ASUU, which had defied all solutions. We want the Federal Government to end ASUU strike permanently, that is why we are on the road protesting. This is just the tip of an iceberg. We are just getting started. Today, we are live at Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, just after Sagamu Interchange. And, tomorrow, by the special grace of God, we will be at another location, next tomorrow the same thing until our voice is heard.”
Meanwhile, despite directive by some governors that their state-owned universities should reopen for academic activities, the institutions have remained shut. Branch congresses of the state universities have resolved to continue with the strike.
However, the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) have expressed concern that the strike has entered seven-month and students were still at home without resolution of the face-off.
Defending the seven-month strike, ASUU Lagos Zone Coordinator, Dr. Adelaja Odukoya, said: “We are very worried that a government in a democracy is this irresponsible and insensitive.’’
He said ASUU was prepared to continue with the strike as long as it takes the government to be responsible and live up to its responsibilities of properly funding public universities.
As the ding-dong continues, students are lamenting. A 400 level Microbiology student of University of Lagos, Akoka, Awele Oderachukwu, said she felt like her life was wasting.
“I ought to have graduated last year but I’m still waiting for school to resume so I can complete the first semester of my final year and hopefully graduate without any other further incident. I feel like I have not received proper university education. This whole issue is holding my life back because I can’t get a job without a degree. Nigerians aren’t selfless enough to want to hire an undergraduate in this kind of situation when there are numerous graduates that would fall over themselves to get a chance to work for any amount. I’m sad but at the same time I have accepted that it is what it is, and that this country is not going to prosper as long as they treat education as an afterthought.’’
She urged the union to find an alternative to strike because going on industrial action for years has not taken them anywhere.
Precious Ogochukwu, 300 level Mass Communication student of UNILAG, said ASUU has been going on strikes without positive results, stating, “when are they going to realise that strike has never resolved their problems and the students are the ones that take the hit.’’
She advised the union to find a better way to table their demands before government. She explained that Nigerians should not expect politicians to find solution to the prolonged strike as long as their children are schooling abroad.
Deputy National President of NAPTAN, Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, said the February 14 ASUU strike was a terrible gift to parents on Valentine day, arguing that parents were shocked why the union chose that day to go on strike. We didn’t know it will last this long.’’
Ogunbanjo disclosed that with the strike entering the seven months, university education has been threatened and observed that ASUU was not helping matters by insisting on University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) for payment of their salary. His words: “The employer has the right to decide the system to use for payment of salary. This is an area we think ASUU is taking it too far. ‘’
He urged the government to pay lecturers the seven-month salary but with a stern warning that next time they would not be paid, stating, “ASUU is ruining the lives of our children.’’