Dear ASUU, the strike is not the only option

Dear ASUU, the strike is not the only option

By Gimbiya William

After the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) spent eight months on the strike, which ended with the ruling of an industrial court in agreement with the Federal Government over the withdrawal of a governed policy “No Work No Pay”. The issue awaken itself after the Federal Government fails to meet up that demand as they insisted to have no sufficient funds on the ground.

However, ASUU should look after the case thoroughly for the sake of their students and remain on their stand as a body of education in the country. Regularly embarking on strike may bring a poor outcome to the lives of students and continue to collapse Nigeria’s academic calendar may encourage massive dropouts from public institutions, strand the younger ones planning to get admitted into the universities and affects the daily lives of some lecturers as well.

There is a need of resolving the matter without connecting it to a strike, the Federal Government should have to fulfil the agreement and handle other financial demands of the union. The government may not have the complete funds to settle ASUU members at once, but they can cut it off into two-phase within a few months for ensuring that no strike ever takes place.

It is high time to resolved everything not until when their needs made them blind to considering the conditions of Nigeria’s students and what the future may bring for them, as they are the ones (students) suffering from the reactions of both parties. ASUU are the ones on board to make the final decision and reasonably, embarking on strike should not have to be their last option.

***Gimbiya William, Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri

Dear ASUU, the strike is not the only option