By: Nmerichukwu Igweamaka
For three months the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the Federal Government were engaged in a resurrected feud that kept lecturers and students away from the classrooms paving way for engagements in other activities, profitable or non-profitable.
“The indefinite industrial action” Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi the ASUU president would say whenever he was announcing the that no agreement has been reached between the association and the federal government. The outrage and protests were numerous, from the students and concerned Nigerians who could do little or nothing about the situation. A realistic replay of watching your younger one get beaten by a much older person without being able to do anything other than rant and raise dust.
Truce however, came after excruciating weeks of negotiation and stern warning from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to give neither ASUU or the Federal Government rest if the strike wasn’t called off.
A miracle too, because all of a sudden NANS was snapped out of whatever issue was mesmerising them, keeping them silent and inactive for 3 months while ASUU and the Government played with the future of students.
Hours ago ASUU announced that they had reached an agreement with the Federal Government and the strike has been suspended. This is coming 7 days to the general elections. Recall when ASUU said that it wouldn’t allow any of its members to be involved in officiating the election? Was that just a threat to coarse the Federal Government into accepting their terms?
Did it work? Did the Federal Government finally agree with ASUU over sheer concern for the students or because they need the votes of the ever resilient students of Federal universities.
A good number of students have their PVC’s and these PVC’s were collected from INEC centres near their schools, this implies that the votes of students should be counted lost if they remain at home.
I do not encourage apathy towards the forthcoming elections, but should we continue to dance without question to the beats and scheming of the federal government? They say ‘stay at home, we do not need you’- We grudgingly stay. What can we do anyways
Now they say go back to school, be armed with your PVC’s- What game is being played?