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Friday, October 25, 2013
ASUU strike: Pupils say govt is not serious
As the strike by the Academic Staff Union of
Universities enters the fourth month, some
secondary school pupils lend their voices to the
general call for an end to the crisis, SAMUEL
AWOYINFA reports
Secondary school pupils in Lagos have joined
other Nigerians in speaking out against the
ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of
Universities. Most of the youngsters believe the
Federal Government reneged on the agreement
it reached with ASUU in 2009.
Therefore, moved by pity for the undergraduates
affected by the strike, they demanded that the
terms of the deal be honoured quickly so that
the latter could go back to the university
campuses to resume their studies.
While some of the pupils noted that the strike
had forced their older siblings, relations and
friends, who are undergraduates in various
universities, to idle away their time in their
respective homes, others argued that the
situation had led to an increase in crime rate.
Many of the pupils accused the FG of lack of
seriousness toward the education sector. They
said they were aware that government had never
met the UNESCO’s recommended budgetary
allocation of 26 per cent to education sector.
Vowing never to let the current situation and
government’s unfavourable disposition to
education affect their future or delay their
academic progress, some of the pupils said their
parents were already making alternative plans for
their education.
The majority look forward to either relocating
abroad to continue their education or enrolling in
private universities in the country.
But a few less privileged pupils insist that they
want to fulfill their dreams for higher education
in public universities since their parents cannot
afford to send them abroad or pay the exorbitant
fees charged by private universities.
A pupil of Dansol High School, Ikeja, Feranmi
Olatunji, says that by reneging on its agreement
with ASUU, the FG has shown that it does not
care about the various categories of students –
undergraduate, postgraduate, prospective
undergraduate and parents – who are at the
receiving end of the lingering crisis.
“The action of the Federal Government shows
that it does not care about education. If it did, it
would honour its agreement with ASUU without
sparing any cost. It is a pity that students are
the ones at the receiving end. As the saying
goes, the idle hand is the devil’s workshop. Some
of the students could be tempted to commit
crime. The others have become an extra burden
to their parents,” Olatunji says.
Alarmed by the bleak prospect presented by
persistent strikes in the tertiary institutions,
Ogwuike Deborah of the African Church Model
College, Ifako, Lagos told our correspondent that
she already had an alternative plan for her
education.
“I don’t think I want to be affected by ASUU
strikes, which have become a tradition in public
universities in Nigeria. Such inconsistency will
affect my plans for the future. I do not plan to
spend an extra day studying for a degree in
Law,” she says.
Also, Agbede Olumide of Bachel Model College,
Ogba, notes that government’s attitude to
education clearly shows that the children of
many top government officials do not attend
public universities.
Worried that his elder sister, an undergraduate of
Tai Solarin University of Education, is idling away
at home, he says, “She just sleeps, wakes up,
eats and spends the rest of the day watching
movies. She says some of her friends have
started working as waitresses in some eateries in
Lagos just to pass the time.
“Top government officials can afford to treat
education with such levity because their children
are studying abroad. It is an act of wickedness to
the children of the poor masses.”
One of Agbede’s friends affected by the strike
has started processing admission into a
university in neighbouring Republic of Benin.
Just like Agbede’s friend, Seth Omo-Izirein of
Dansol High School, would like to attend a
tertiary institution outside Nigeria and his
preferred choice is the University of Legon,
Ghana, where he hopes to obtain a degree in
theatre arts.
The last thing Omo-Izirein wants is to suffer the
same fate as his friend, an undergraduate of
University of Lagos, who now wakes up every
morning, “playing games and watching
television” due to the strike.
“I want a four-year programme and not an
extended programme. One is not sure if this
strike, when it is eventually called off, will not
come up again someday,” he says.
Ihekwereme Kelechi of Bachel Model College
agrees that incessant strikes in public
universities due to neglect of education sector by
government have driven many people to seek
higher education outside the country.
“I read an article on the Internet recently and I
learnt that Holland has 90 per cent literacy level.
Obviously we are lagging behind. That is why our
certificates are not valued outside the country.
Those foreigners see our leaders and the people
as unserious,” she says.
Vanessa Osuka of the African Church Model
College confesses that she feels bad seeing her
brother being on a forced holiday. She says she
is disappointed that President Goodluck
Jonathan, who was once a lecturer, would treat
his colleagues this way.
“He is not showing us that he was once a
lecturer. If I have my way I won’t attend a public
university,” she says.
Also, Munachi Ufere, who looks forward to
seeking admission in a private university, thinks
it is better to go to an institution with the best
facilities and complete whatever course one has
chosen at the appropriate time.
While she describes the FG’s action as “heinous
and a disruption of the academic calendar,”
Munachi predicts the strike will make some
affected undergraduates too lazy to study at
home.
Although Stephen Olufeko of the African Church
Model College wants to attend a public
university, he is ‘scared’ of his sister, Gloria’s
experience. The latter, who is an undergraduate
of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, is
currently idling away at home.
He appeals to the government “to release the
funds the ASUU is demanding and let the strike
be called off.”
One can only hope that the voice of reason will
prevail and the FG will do the needful, so that the
students and lecturers will go back to the
classrooms.
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