The ills of prolonged ASUU strike

SIR: Undoubtedly, education is wealth and an educated nation is a wealthy nation. A responsible government must prioritise the development of the educational sector and ensure that her citizens acquire quality education. This will fast track rapid development, economic growth and technological advancement.

Regrettably, public universities have assumed solitary status due to the sine die strike by Academic Staff Union of University, ASUU. On the 14th of February, 2022, university dons across the country down tools due to non-payment of financial entitlements, imposition of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), inadequate funding of universities among other demands.

While ASUU on one hand holds government responsible for the prolonged strike due to its inability to sign renegotiated agreements to end the strike; government on the other hand views ASUU’s demands as tempest in a teapot. The back and forth posture adopted by government over the strike further portends it’s insincerity of purpose and action to resolving and ending the protracted strike.

The consequences of incessant ASUU strikes are enormous and a clog to the wheels of quality education. First, graduates produced may not compete favourably with those from sane academic climes at global pedestal. Second, half baked graduates that are unemployable will obviously pervade the labour market hence counter productive for a nation with parlous economy. Third, students could constitute nuisance as ready tools for social vices and conduits to deviant behaviours such as drug addiction, thuggery, robbery, cultism and illicit sex. Fourth, academic calendar are prolonged hence students do not graduate in good time.

Sadly, government officials saddled with the responsibility to ensuring adequate funding, seamless academic programmes in citadels of academic have not been resolute. While Nigerian students continuously wallow in abject academic decadence, the wards of our governors, minister and other political officers study abroad at the expense of tax payers’ money. This is worrisome and must be nipped in the bud.

Conversely, the series of parley between government and ASUU had ended in logjam. Going forward, the government should show sincerity of purpose to meet their demands. As a step in the right direction, government should pay the backlog of six months salaries owed the lecturers while negotiation continues. ASUU on their part should sheathe their sword and shift grounds for the sake of the students now at home for over seven months.
Sunny Awazie wrote from Umuahia, Abia State.