NOW THAT THE LION’S ROAR NO LONGER MOVES THE JUNGLE

“Prepare for Another Strike…” is a headline that has amassed popularity among Nigerian students. With incessant strike actions, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has succeeded in making people question the purpose of the Union. When you read headlines about ASUU’s plan to embark on yet another industrial action, they usually come off with a tone of threat, which has over time become amusing in a ridiculous way. The Union has become unpopular among Nigerian students and many others who bother to concern themselves with the affairs of th union

Between the Federal Government and ASUU, strike actions seem to be the only mediating language. Undoubtedly, the Union has had a track record of incessant strike actions. From 2016 to the the last strike action, which lasted for nine months, the Union doesn’t seem to have relented as another strike action looms.

The struggle between ASUU and the Federal Government has been an examplified case of two elephant in a fight. The only difference is that this time, the grass has given up on hope. ASUU seems to be alone in this charade, as many of the stakeholders in the business of tertiary education are not exactly moved by the strike actions anymore. First, Nigerian students seem to be so used to the situation that they are no longer shocked at the announcement of an imminent strike. It might be extreme to affirm that many students have calculated their expected year of graduation, with possible years of strike actions. It might be extreme, but it is not a lie. This, in fact is one major reason many Nigerian students have become circumstantial preachers of the mantra ‘school na scam’. It is thus a painful that Nigerians students have lost faith in almost everything about the country, even education, which they all sang about as the best legacy.

The government is not exempted in this charade and it has been a major player in this institutional deterioration. There is a careless attitude towards the educational sector. With 5.6% of the total revenue allocated to educational sector, the answers to many of the problems in the sector are not far fethched. Government-owned universities have only helped students in elongating their stay on campus, thus bringing inconvenience to their studies. For these reasons, many students have found solace in the private universities as they are certain of graduating at the set date, with a conducive learning environment.

We need not to remind ourselves of the woes incessant strike actions have brought upon the educational system. But the singular fact that these strike actions have not yielded any lasting solution keeps us on the same spot. While, it is easy to blame the Union, the failure of the government to reshape and redefine the educational sector has been a major challenge to the smooth running of the academic calendar. Youths are the most vibrant part of a population, and it is just unfortunate if they would have to waste their lives, trying to get a degree. It is easy to convince ASUU that strike actions are no longer effective, ( that is if they don’t already know, because even a blind man can see it) but what other means are there?