By Friday Omosola
& Tolu Atanniyi
|
Parents and students have described the additional one-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as a waste of time.
The union had announced its resolution that strike be rolled over for four weeks to give government more time to satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues.
While speaking with The Hope, the concerned parents and the students said the Federal Government had failed in its responsibility and has proven to be insensitive to the plight of students by failing to resolve the crisis.
A parent, Mrs. Omotosho expressed disappointment about the additional rollover strike, saying both ASUU and the government are devil in disguise.
She lamented that her son gained admission and was in school for just four months but industrial strike has lasted for over five months.
“He spent one and a half years at home after finishing his secondary school level in 2019. It is so frustrating for him and me as a parent. I’m concerned,” she added
Another parent, Mrs. Aminat Idera said she felt dejected towards ASUU announcement of rollover for another month, stating that her wards had been hoping for resumption after staying at home for months.
She said she saw no limelight that the strike would end soon, adding that she had enrolled her wards in vocational centres.
A university student, Omojowo Ajosanmi Gowon said that he was not surprised at the extension of the industrial action of the union but was rather justified.
His words, “I was so sure the union was going to extend the strike as the federal government is yet to heed its demand and the union, though she claimed to be a good parent, isn’t shifting ground on her demands or suspending the strike”
“It was funny and sad to see ASUU which was unable to ensure its demands are met under Jonathan, a PhD holder and was expecting Muhammadu Buhari, a General who has shown not too bothered about education to heed its demands. The students are the Guinea pigs and it is sad.”
Another student, Philip Anjorin, said ASUU extending strike could be a good thing and bad, adding that the union has gone far looking at the way the Nigerian government is nonchalant about the issues.
Anjorin said the nonchalant attitude of FG is not only witnessed in the education sector but also across other sectors in the country, saying there was no hope for students resuming this year due to FG’s attitude to fulfilling the union’s demands
In her lamentation, Eunice Kayode said she had been home for months, devastated and helpless due to the strike, with fear that the strike might not end soon.
This is the third time ASUU has extended the rollover strike since it embarked on a four-week warning strike on February 14. All other staff unions in the universities are also on strike for the same welfare issues.
The strike by the union entered its day 169 today.
