What Students Stand To Lose: If ASUU Embark on Indefinite Industrial Action
Industrial action in
the academia has never been favourable to undergraduates, admission seekers and
even the people who survive through the economy on campus. In fact, whenever
there is a disagreement between ASUU and the Federal Government, the students
are always at the receiving end. The prolonged strikes in most cases often
snowball into the undergraduates spending extra semesters or additional years
on campus, depending on the duration of the industrial actions.
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Admission seekers
This is even as the
admission seekers would have to wait until final students on campus graduate
before gaining admission, as there would be apparently no space for them. It
means that if the undergraduates spend additional two years, those seeking
University education will have to wait for the same two years to gain admission.
Moreover, those who bear the consequences of ASUU strikes are not limited
to undergraduates and admission
seekers, but the people who earn their living by doing business on campus would
also be affected, as the students who would have patronized them will be at
home. This category of people includes shuttle drivers, food sellers, business
centre operators, banks, photographers and a host of others. What about the
effects of prolonged strikes on the reading culture of students, as many
students study better when they are in academic environment? The thought of
examination triggers many students to read, as some students will not read if
exams are not approaching.
Age
limitation of job seekers
Also, the chances of
some overage students getting jobs after graduation may be slim, as additional
one or two years to their age could be an obstacle to their chances of paid
jobs after graduation. Come to think of this, somebody who would have graduated
at twenty-seven, but now graduating at twenty-nine, with one year compulsory
NYSC, may not find funny. Apparently, looking at the issue, even the labour
market will be missing some good hands who, due to prolonged strikes have
exceeded the required working years for a beginner. Reacting to the effects of
a prolonged strike on students, Miss Irene Aleogho, a 200 level Mass
Communication student from University of Benin, urged ASUU and the Federal
Government to put the students into consideration in all their decisions,
adding, ‘’We also have our lives to live as students. A prolonged strike kills
our passions for study, and extra year or years to our stay in school will
further compound issues for student on campus”.
FG,
ASUU compromise
On her part, Miss Godsbest Folorunso, studying
Agriculture Economic and Extension from UNIBEN lauded ASUU passion to make the
university environment conducive for learning. She however, pleaded with both
the Federal Government and ASUU not to compromise, adding that when ASUU
commences indefinite strike, they dont know when it would be called-off. At
Delta State University, Abraka, Mr Success Wari, a final year student of Social
Science Education, did not observe the one week warning strike because they
have been suspended by ASUU. Success, who was elated that academic activities
are ongoing in the institution, lamented the effects of a prolonged strike to
undergraduates and admission seekers. He said: ‘’As a final year student, I am
not happy about the strike. Supposing our institution is participating in the
strike, the second semester exams we are supposed to have next year February
will be postponed. ‘’Also, the just admitted 100 level students, would have
gone back home because they will not be able to process and start their
lectures due to the strike.
Hurried
academic sessions
‘’There are things like
seminars, project that we are supposed to do would be shelved due to the
strike. When students finally come back from the strike, lecturers will start
rushing to cover their syllabus with the students. There was a strike that
happened some years ago, undergraduates that were supposed to have graduated,
did not as at the year they should have graduated. They spent extra time in
school before they graduated.’’ Eze Chukwudera, final year student of Mass
Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka said, Threatened graduation ‘’ASUU
strike has affected us because it has slowed down the academic activities,
thereby threatening our graduation in July.’’ He urged the government to do
something immediately so that the lecturers can get back to class. Rose
Oyidiya, a second year Mass Communication student, University of Nigeria,
Nsukka said: ‘’ You know that when institutions go on strike, it affects
activities on campus and students are meant to suffer it. Even with this
warning strike, it will be difficult to cover every lecture that we have
missed. We have first semester examinations in January. If we do not cover
everything before examination, how can we cope? How can we be leaders of
tomorrow if our institutions keep going on strike? Also, Egbo Gideon, a final
year student of Biochemistry, UNN said that the strike has really made the
semester longer. ‘’We, the finalists will suffer it. Because UNN has not joined
the strike, lecturers do come to class.
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Blessing
in disguise
Meanwhile, the Deputy
Director (Academic), Distance Learning Centre, University of Ibadan, Professor
Oyesoji Aremu, in his reaction maintained that the one-week ASUU strike would
eventually be a blessing generally to the education industry especially the
University education. He said: ‘’It is a fact that cannot be controverted that
the little and relative stability been enjoyed by the university and students
were at the instance of ASUU. ‘’In effect, students would not lose anything.
What might look like a loss is insignificant given the expected gains of the
strike.”
2009
agreement
You would recall that
last week Wednesday, ASUU announced a week warning strike to protest the
failure of government to implement the 2009 agreement with the union. The area
of disagreement waiting for redress between the union and government include payment of fraction of staff
entitlement and the denial of staff entitlement in respect of earned academic
allowance amounting to about N128 billion, funding of universities for
revitalization and the refusal to register
the Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company by the National
Compensation Commission. Others include the introduction of the Treasury Single
Account (TSA) which according to the Union affects the university autonomy,
decrease in budgetary allocation to education and the refusal by government to renegotiate
the 2009 agreement which was due for renegotiation since 2012.
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