ASUU Strike, Nigerian Education and the Nigerian Vision
NEWS DIGEST–For several days now the Academic Staff Union of Universities have been on strike protesting what they termed under-funding of Education and ill-treatment of their members through unpaid earned allowances and more.
It Is noteworthy to state categorically that Nigerian Tertiary institutions have been hit by strike actions occasioned by disagreements between the lecturers and federal government dating back to several years ago.
Many persons are of the view that the strike actions have failed to result into improvements for tertiary institutions and also the perennial problems of lack of facilities across Nigerian varieties still persist.
Many are of the other opinion that the strike has led to improvements in the standard of learning across tertiary institutions.
With the school of thought varying into those in support of the Academic staff’s action and those against, one Cannot but look deeply into the causal effect to the disagreements and how much sabotage it has done to the average Nigerian student.
The word half-baked graduate is not new to employers of labor in the country as many of Nigerian Students are said to be less prepared for the task in the outer world.
While one must sympathise with ASUU over its fight and demand for more funding , one must also note with care that the extensive strike actions lead to time loss by students who are bound by societal reality to graduate before age It 23 or 24.
This is so because organizations now put age limits on jobs leaving a Nigerian Student who has spent several months of his academic calendar on strike in huge dilemma. With the situations ravaging the country where productivity is said to be low, we must also beyound fighting for lecturers welfare demand the revamp of the school curriculum to suit present day realities.
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Many of the challenges facing Nigeria will have been easier if students were taught to solve peculiar problems.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities must also orientiate their members towards getting knowledge in tandem with world academic standards and must engage the government towards qualitative research for their members.
The consistent strike actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities should be reviewed while an alternative dispute resolution mechanism should be enshrined.
While the strike persists, the government at the state and federal government level must understand that the vision towards a better Nigeria will be a joke if Education Is taken lightly.
The statement intended to be made by ASUU must also be seen as not just a fight by the Union but also other tertiary institutions should be given priority. Our Technical schools, colleges of Education and Polytechnics should not be abandoned.
As a country, we must continue to agigate for better Policies revolving round Education and must understand that to solve most of our problems , the school must be given importance.
The increase in quality of Education at Universities and other tertiary institutions will not only lead to more productivity but will lead to more orientation and stability for the country.
Any country not prepared to fund education must be ready to face its ripples effect which may amount to increase in criminality and instability.
The role of the students Union should not be limited to just fighting for students’ right within their University circle but also engaging constructively unions like Academic Staff Union of Universities towards alternative dispute resolutions in a bid to reduce the time lost each time lecturers down tools.
I must also state that while strike actions continue to become a reality for us all, students should develop themselves even more with skills during the period of the strike and continue to be ambassadors of progressiveness.
The future of Nigeria and the Nigeria dreams lies on her youths ,most of whom are students or ought to be students.
Chidozie writes from Abuja.
He can be reached at: Chidozie.law@live.com
