It’s been two months since the Academic Staff Union of
Universities embarked on a nationwide indefinite strike. This was
as a result of the inability of the Federal Government to implement
the issues contained in a 2009 agreement it had with ASUU.
Some Nigerian parents have sent out strong messages to
President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene and put an end to the
prolonged strike immediately:
Here's what the affected parents told Vanguard on the issue...
Government not feeling the strike because their
children are in private universities
— Ohwaguono Onos
Mr. Ohwaguono Onos, a parent and a post graduate student of
University of Lagos( UNILAG), who was affected by the strike
has this to say.
“The ASUU strike has made my children shift focus to other things
that are costing me additional funds I didn’t budget for. And
parents who cannot engage their wards in these suffer distress
and heart-aches because of the nuisance the students constitute
at home. One thing I have learnt is that after each episode of
strike, the students are no more focused even when they resume
lectures because they have been out for so long. ASUU went on
strike because they want the government to come to their plight
and help them.
“If the Senators can have sitting and sleeping allowances, then
the builders of these characters should be considered; they are
the lecturers. My only pain is that these ones in government are
not feeling it because their own children are not in the Federal and
State universities. Their children are abroad schooling, their
children are in private universities. Most of the people in sensitive
government positions are the owners of most private Universities
which are funded by our own money. How can the strike affect
the government? Our plea is for the government to listen to the
masses, listen to ASUU and help them; that way they are helping
us and saving the future.
Federal government should meet the demands of the
lecturers
—Oluranti Olushola
Mrs Oluranti Olushola, a teacher who said her son was affected
by the strike pleaded that the Federal Government should help
them so their children can go back to school. “I am seriously
appealing to the Federal Government, on behalf of Nigerian
parents, to end the strike and make education a top priority and
also save the education sector from imminent collapse.”
She noted that the government voluntarily entered into an
agreement with the union in 2009 to fund universities better and
meet some other demands of the union. “The Federal Government
must at all costs meet the demands of the union to save the
future of our children,” she said.
Government should avoid workers’ strike
—Mrs Ruquiyat Adebayo
Another teacher, Mrs Ruquiyat Adebayo disclosed that that
ASUU’s demands were genuine. She urged the government to make
any sacrifice to improve the education sector. Mrs Adebayo also
advised the government to avoid workers’ strike by meeting their
demands early.“ASUU is not asking for too much. It’s demands are
justified. We have the resources in this country, and we must set
our priorities right. Education must come first in all our
plans.“Whatever it will take, Nigeria must improve the welfare of
the University teachers,” she said.
Government should resolve the conflict with ASUU
—Moturayo Madandola
Mrs Moturayo Madandola whose child was affected by the strike
said government should resolve the conflict with ASUU quickly to
save the University system from collapse. “The Federal
Government should accede to the demands of the striking union so
that our children can go back to school,” she said.
Government should be considerate
—Malik Alabi
Malik Alabi, a businessman expressed his feelings with anger
saying, “don’t mind those people in government , all their children
are schooling abroad. How would they remember us? They only
plan to travel to Dubai for vacation, travel out of the country for
medical check up, send their children to Harvard and all the good
schools abroad. These people should also consider the parents
who suffer to pay school fees for our children . I have two
children at OAU and they are both at home doing nothing and it
pains me a lot . My only plea is that Federal Government should help
us because the parents are the ones suffering it more”.
Four-year course is running six years because of the
strike
—Deaconess Joy Osewengie Deaconness Mrs. Joy
Osewengie, a mother of two students in the University of Benin
(UNIBEN) expressed her concern saying, “The ASUU strike has
turned into something else; my children are not doing anything at
home. Courses that are supposed to run for four years are now
running six years and above. When will the children finish their
programmes in the Universities and become very useful to their
family and the society?
“The government should know that an idle mind is the devil’s
workshop. We should bear in mind that these ones are the future
of this great nation and if they are half baked because of strike
and crisis, then we may end up with a very sick nation.”
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