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Tafida Sabo Akilu.
I have decided to write an article on the ongoing strike engaged by ASUU on 14, February 2022 because i have been interviewed by two different channels on the same issue ie ASUU strike. I was once called by BBC london via phone and last week by panorama white-blood multimedia via verbal. Both the stations interviewed me on how does ASUU strike affects student. These interviews captured my mind to write this article and i hope it will reach the targets.
Academic staff union of universities (ASUU) was established in 1978 with multiple aims and objectives that include regulation of relations between academic staff and employers,
encouragement of the participation of its members in the affairs of the university system and of the nation, protection and advancement of the socio-economic and cultural interest of the nation.
13×13 Group, Founders, Members and the Motives Behind the Movement
The aforementioned association has been adhering to one measure whenever it has issues with the federal government of Nigeria, ie strike.
It has been gathered that, ASUU is on it’s sixteen strike since the resumption of democracy in 1999. It’s exactly Twenty three (23) years now and within these years, ASUU had embarked on industrial action for about four years, a duration that is sufficiently enough to complete a whole four years degree programs.
The above point substantiated that, ASUU strike elongate graduation years of students. It’s extremely difficult for undergraduates at the Nigerian public versities under ASUU to graduate within the right time. But due to the ASUU approach that is usually bring about the semblance of reviewing of academic calendars. This of course stonewall students in campuses beyond the graduation period.
Meanwhile, rush of academic calendars is also among the effect of this ongoing strike on student. Whenever strike is called off, the campus management rush students to quickly cover the outstanding activities of the semester. Thus, affected the students chance to learn affectively. It also make students stressful because they have to prepare for both examination and continus assessment simultaneously. This phenomenon affect students outcomes at last. For example, first class student may transcend to second class, second class to third class, third class may suffer carry overs.
However, apart from the academic impacts of the strike on students. It also affects student socially. Most of the students feel bored because of strike. Such boredom anf idleness at home may predispose them into negative health condition that perhaps include anxiety, depression and bipolar
Lack of enthusiasm in education by the students is another effect of ASUU industrial action on students. The strike approach upload constantly by ASUU have made many students to become unenthusiastic ie , totally disinterested in education and resorted them to look for job opportunities to earn living. This of course make education less interesting and also puts student in a tight corner when campuses resume.
More so, it often affect students economically, one of the impact here is waste of accomodation rent for some students that stay off-campus. Many students rented apartments outside campus and their money is currently burning in vain because they can’t stay while versities are on strike. If the strike continues, they will end of having to repay whenever school resumes. That’s a total waste.
Lastly, I’m calling on ASUU-FG to take these effects into consideration and resolve the issues so that campuses will be resumed.
Conclusively, ASUU is a pressure group that encompasses lecturers from different public versities across Nigeria. The Union had been adhering to single measure since it’s inception in 1978 and this measure is unfavorable to Nigerian student academically, socially and economically.
Written by Tafida sabo Akilu, student at Yusuf Maitama Sule university kano, faculty of humanities, department of history and international studies.
