UNIVERSITY LECTURERS' ON STRIKE
by olutosin | July 2, 2009 at 9:50 AM
The Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria embarked on indefinite strike after a 14-day warning strike which ended on May 31, 2009. The major obstacle to solving this problem is failure on the part of Nigerian government to respect agreement ventured into by ASUU and the federal government.
In April 2001, ASUU went on strike because of lack of improvement in wide range of issues from salaries to infrastructural/Academic improvement in government Universities. During this period, government officials signed on behalf of government to which they later reneged, the strike follows and forty nine lecturers were sacked, the supreme court of Nigeria exonerated five of these lecturers till date the remaining forty four are still waiting. Till date, the 2001 strike is yet to be addressed.
In 2006, Nigeria government set up another committee to see into the case, negotiations upon negations that lasted for more than two years, yet nothing to show for it, lecturers are agitating for increase in their salaries. Many Nigerian lecturers are moving like swamp into other countries seeking greener pastures and better paid jobs while their students are left idle, parents who were eagerly awaiting graduation date are back to their knees praying to God.
When two elephants fight the grass suffers, this has always being the story in Nigeria, but in a situation whereby Nigerians are expecting nothing much from the present administration, it will be wrong for lecturers to expect anything but work for God as their reward is in heaven. An adage says, lame man your load is not straight and he answered, it is because you looked from upwards, but looking at me from leg upwards, you will realize that the load has no problem.
The present president of Nigeria, is the only President with a degree we ever have, thank God his deputy too, there is a word that is being bastardized in Nigeria, ‘Nigeria university system is in comatose’ only because our leaders enroll their children abroad, as we all say where your treasure is that is where the heart is, we can now see why our leaders tune in to CNN to watch international news, there children are abroad, but one day the hand will catch up with the eyes and it will scratch the eyes red..
Nature has a way of paying back as we continue to implore students to hold on, it is a case of the masquerade pursuing the earthly being, as the earthly being is getting tired so is the masquerade becoming weary. ASUU cannot be chastised because they have suffered in the hands of successive leaders and the present President cannot be blamed for not having proper plan for the nation because he was not prepared but forced. A stranger without an address, who entered into a country at the dead of the night! God Bless Nigeria
Comments
With his degree what change
With his degree what change has he brought to the governance of the country?
Peace!
Fatima
Ma, Nothing!
Ma,
Nothing!
Olutosin Oladosu Adebowale (Take Back The Tray)
Founder/Coordinator
Stop The Abuse of Rights
House 7, Q Close
5th Avenue
Festac Town
Lagos-Nigeria
do some thing
actually i want to beg the government to please do some thing about the ongoing strike and they should try to understand that if to elephant are fighting it the grass that suffer it.