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ASUU and our patriotic patriots

By Tony Afejuku
09 September 2022   |   3:48 am
When I thought of writing today’s column, the initial title that entered the unblemished cavity of what I may hereby call my unaccountably enchanting suavity was this: Of un-patriotic and patriotic quacks.

[FILES] Federal Government’s team and the National Executive of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

When I thought of writing today’s column, the initial title that entered the unblemished cavity of what I may hereby call my unaccountably enchanting suavity was this: Of un-patriotic and patriotic quacks. Of course, I was going to situate what I was going to say within the context of what Professor Emmanuel Osedeke, ASUU president, recently said in an interview he granted Arise Television’s “The Morning Show” anchors. In the said interview he, as an aside, referred to some (I think four or so) named State Universities as “quacks” for not being part of the current strike embarked upon for more than seven months now by this country’s most significantly stand-out Union – and the very, very most patriotic one, to boot. Since the ASUU’s national president uttered what he uttered rightly in, my view contextually, he has been subjected to all kinds of abuses emanating from some unpatriotic personages and boon-dogglers of some boon-docks universities. But the new gem of ASUU, who bears the stamps of the old masters and the claw-marks of the old tigers and lions, of his redoubtable Union, was not ready, again, rightly in my view, to listen to any sanctimonious fraud dressed in the dresses of patriots who are not patriots. I am keeping the subject in abeyance. In a buoyant time I shall join the ASUU president to look with pain, anger, resentment, disillusionment and disappointment at the activities of Professor Osodeke’s unpatriotic quacks whose quackeries should not be erased from the patriotic consciousness of ASUU and of those who patriotically allow themselves to be amazed with ASUU’s astounding courage and feats – despite the wrong knocks the Union is receiving from the dark forces within and without our central government.

Now the patriotic patriots of my title today are some of my cherished readers, patriots who are patriots, who value my opinion and whose opinion I equally patriotically value very valuably. All my essays here in regard to the ASUU strike have been accepted by them without infatuation and in a manner that is straightforward and very straight-forward. The messages are messages of truth. Politics, interestingly patriotically plays less part in them. Read, re-read and enjoy and re-enjoy them.

Dr. Babtunde Adeleke (Uniben): I am not surprised by Professor IBK’s reaction to Uncle TA’s essay especially the ones on ASUU and its patriotic struggles. I have read (well!!!?) essays written on ASUU and the FG, and the ones written by our wondrous columnist Uncle Tony are simply the best for me. I know because I’ve read some of the ones he wrote three or four times over. I enjoy every bit of the essays, although I’m startled, sometimes, by his use of words. OK. One example: In the essay (of last Friday) under reference (that is, “IBK on ASUU betrayer Adamu Adamu”), a certain junior minister in the Ministry of Education who was running his mouth, after sensing danger, Afejuku wrote, “fled and flew.” An action Soyinka would tag as engaging in a “rapid dialogue with his legs.” So why “fled and flew”? I guess the former junior minister was running but he discovered his legs were becoming weak and his enemies were going to catch up with him, so he borrowed wings from Horus and flew away! (By the way, where is that chap now? Not flown back yet?). This is just an example of the many “startling’s” I’m trying to compile (if hunger go let me do am!) to show why TA’s essays are the best for me. More grease, Sir.

Professor Ademola Da Sylva (University of Ibadan): TA, our TA! You have again proved your mettle, a great chef that you are by demonstrating your mastery of verbal smithy and culinary skill. A cocktail of tantalizing ingredients from the indefatigable IBK and your journalistic colleague, to make the plate you served this morning (last Friday’s)…. It is engagingly appetizing and mentally mouthful as usual. Keep up the great work!

Professor Igho Natufe (Eastern Europe): Good afternoon, my dear Brother. Prof. Ibrahim Bello-Kano’s analysis is a very brilliant piece of literary criticism. He constructively exposed the intents of Adamu Adamu. Congratulations for using this your lovely and widely read column to propagate the virtues of ASUU by consistently educating the public on the bankruptcy of the central government’s policies.

Professor Mabel Evwierhoma (Uniabuja): You held the minister by his jugular veins. I pray that this opinion essay touches him and the FGN.

Engineer Kingsley Amadi (Lagos): Wow! I did not know that ASUU helped to project the Federal Minister of Education to his present position. I will enjoin ASUU to look for areas of alignment/compromise to move the sector forward. It is possible that with the benefit of his office, he now can see farther…. My way of giving him a little more slack.

Mustafa Yusuf-Adesola (Canada): Sir, something came to my mind after reading your column on the Education Minister; and especially while I was writing about the japa phenomenon: It was the “Ali Must Go” strike and the effect of student unionism on government’s decisions. I just imagine what they were fighting for regarding students’ welfare. And now, we’ve come to this state where politicians have become Union leaders. Do you think the killing of that spirit has affected even the ASUU strike? I am of the opinion that the youths have the power and hunger when young to fight for justice. Once that flame is killed, it’s the next generation that will suffer for what they did not.

Dan Ejodame (Benin City): I read your articles on Adamu Adamu again and again without getting tired. The articles are coated with the words of elders. Thank you, Sir.

Dr. Dan Chima Amadi (Poet and Dramatist): The real Tony Afejuku. Well scripted, profoundly insightful and the right hammer for the idiot. It shall be well by His Grace.

An Anonymous Reader: Hello Sir, Google featured the article on Adamu Adamu the betrayer on its news front page and it is currently trending in the education sector. Looking at the column, I want to pinpoint this truth. “The irony of it all is that Adamu Adamu and his cohorts will be gone while ASUU will be here for a long, long time.” Sadly, such people don’t think about building enduring legacies. Your essays always make Google leading pages. Congrats, Sir. We shall meet some day.

St. Louis (Independent Researcher): Thank you so much for your articles. Each one is a must read for me; intellectually stimulating and analytical. Allow me to buttress your series on ASUU’s current strike with the following quote that sums up Professor Jonathan Hadit of New York University after his lecture at University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) on the ‘telos’ or “purpose of universities: To discover truth….. Truth – that’s the purpose of higher education.”

Now all the listed readers are patriotic patriots of your country my country our country. Their concern for the state of our universities glows patriotically. But our governments, federal and state, are not at all ready for the truth ASUU is espousing. Indeed, ASUU wants Nigeria’s today’s universities to achieve the purpose for which they were established through proper and adequate funding and buoyant remuneration and condition of service and comfortable welfare as well as an intellectually stimulating atmosphere for lecturers and professors and students in the quest of “telos.” In the absence of these, Nigerian Universities will collectively become a “great knife” that ironically cannot cut anything.”

ASUU will patriotically not allow this to happen no matter the blackmail, dark misinformation, rotten propaganda and the deprivation University lecturers and professors currently are subjected to by their victimizers in and outside government. Because the “telos of a knife is to cut,” all patriotic patriots of the land that our cited readers (and others not cited) as well as ASUU members exemplify, ASUU must hold its patriotically patriotic ground absolutely patriotically. ASUU is not a weak and fragile Union. It is iron that slices iron. That’s why the members should stick together. That way they will overcome whether the victimizers and their propagandists and megaphones like it or not. Then ASUU can and will tell them to ”take it or leave it.” Evil never shines forever. Hurrah for Thunder!!!

Afejuku can be reached via 08055213059.

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