The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU recently called off their 8-month long strike action against the Federal Government. The strike action began on February 14th 2022 and was called off on October 14th 2022.
ASUU has embarked on more than 16 industrial actions between 1999 and 2022 and no administration has been able to nip the long-standing issues in the bud. This recent strike action is proof of that fact.
Each time ASUU decides to strike, it becomes obvious that both the government and the ever striking lecturers completely lack empathy for the students and have no one’s best interests at heart other than themselves.
The causes of these strikes, we must note are two-fold: the failure of the government to fulfil an agreement it once entered with the academic union, and the failure of the lecturers to reinvent themselves and face current realities; finding fresh ways of resolving their incessant disputes with the government.
There are a number of negative effects of this strike action on the lecturers, students and their parents or guardians, the most detrimental fallout being the obvious delay in the academic progress of students.
While their counterparts in private universities were in session, public varsity students were forced to relinquish almost a whole year of their lives to a struggle albeit with good intentions, became an almost political dispute between the leaders of the union and the minister for labour.
Many students and lecturers alike were “stuck”, but some decided to “move on”. Some lecturers during the strike, quit their lecturing jobs in their respective schools and took up lecturing in private universities across Nigeria and even abroad; other lecturers decided to further their education in other countries.
Due to the ASUU strike, students have either completely or partially abandoned academics. Some have taken up different formal and informal skills, while some have taken up different forms of trading from forex, to crypto and even consumer goods trading.
The ASUU strike also caused a serious economic downturn in affected university campuses. Transport workers and traders who sell to students were greatly affected by the long absence of their major customers.
It is very evident that nothing positive came out of the 8-month long strike action. Even the main issue while the strike began; to press home its demand for improved funding for universities and a review of salaries for lecturers, was not resolved. The strike was only “suspended” due to an Industrial court injunction.
This shameful situation we have found ourselves as a nation: fighting the same battles and still losing terribly, is a reflection of our inability to look beyond sentiments, unite and tackle the greatest issue that bedevils us; poor leadership.
With the right people at the helm of affairs, crisis management would be greatly improved in situations like the prolonged ASUU strike.
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