ASUU STRIKE: INCESSANT STRIKE, JUSTIFIABLE OR UNNECESSARY?

ASUU STRIKE: INCESSANT STRIKE, JUSTIFIABLE OR UNNECESSARY?
Published by: VoiceAirMedia

Protest/strike action in a peaceful way is an act of showing disapproval as democracy by the notable American President Abraham Lincoln is the government of the people, by the people and for the people ASUU strike is a way of speaking on behalf of the students concerning the deteriorating state of Nigerian universities
VIEW PICTURE OF ADEBAYO FEMI JOHNSON

       In my humble opinion, I believe the incessant ASUU strike which started on the 4th of November,2018 is justifiable. I share the belief that ASUU strike is a peaceful,justifiable and necessary action to save public universities in Nigeria and the fact that every citizen has the right to quality education

     Firstly, we need to be familiar with why the union has been embarking on incessant strike. The academic staff union of Universities -ASUU- formerly the Nigerian Association of University teachers was birth in the year 1978 covering the academic staffs of both Federal and State Universities across the country in lieu of securing the future of Nigerian students in various universities across the country the union began the indefinite strike action over the non-implementation of the memorandum of action signed with the federal government and to improve the educational system which is not unconnected to its abysmal educational deficit and total neglect

     At the Genesis of the indefinite strike action ,the National President of ASUU, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi stated clearly the reason behind the strike as it is in line with the aims and objectives of the union and far from political threat as it seems to be the ASUU strike covering both the federal and state universities.

According to him,the release of paltry twenty billion naira revitalization fund was despite the fact that the same government released 1.3 trillion naira to a distressed bank. Ogunyemi said the government was not interested in public universities as the children of the top politicians and rich men in the society patronize private universities at the detriment of public institutions as 3 of the numerous universities in the country could make it to the top 1000 in the world with the premiere and foremost University of Ibadan being sighted at the far distance of 991st of the best universities in the world.

It is no news that the educational system in Nigeria is nothing to write home about,A country whose budgetary allocation for education is a meager 11% of its annual budget is marked for perpetual redundancy and stagnation even eventual decadence, students are at home, elections around the corner and Federal Government is conspicuously befuddled

      It should also be noted that the federal government could earmark seven percent budgetary allocation to fund education,when the united national educational scientific and cultural organization(UNESCO) recommended 26 percent. With decisions like this, it is no surprise that our public universities lack facilities and equipment to be of high standard.
     In order for the incessant strike action to be called off, the Federal government must redirect their focus and make proper funds to make our universities be of high standard. UNESCO recommended 26 percent,but the federal government still allots as low as 7 percent to education. The federal government must increase allocations to universities and monitor how the monies are managed, because accountability has always been our problem. ASUU also alleged that over 70 percent of the projects in our public universities are incomplete due to lack of funds and corruption this must also stop

    Education is the bedrock of any society that want to progress, actualize it's potential and do exploits both regionally and continentally instead Nigerians are preoccupied with electioneering hullabaloo cum gerrymandering

It is therefore the need of ASUU to make sure our Public universities are able to meet up with world class and maintain its standard

ADEBAYO FEMI JOHNSON
A PHARMACY STUDENT,  OLABISI ONABANJO UNIVERSITY