ASUU STRIKE: Parents, Student Express Concern Over One Month Roll-Over 

Parents and students have condemned the additional month added to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, characterising it as the destruction of the future.

Recall that the Union announced the strike roll-over on August 1, 2022, after an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council meeting (NEC) held at the Comrade Festus Iyayi National Secretariat, Abuja, on Sunday 31 of July 2022.

The roll-over resulted from the Federal Government’s inability to implement the 2009 agreement between them.

In an interview with this campus reporter, parents and students implored the government to consider the future of Nigerian students by calling off the strike.

Mrs Abiodun James, known as Mummy Ayo, expressed disappointment over the added time and accused both ASUU and the Federal Government of being complicit in keeping students at home.

“My first son Ayo gained admission into the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) in September 2021. He has only studied for 4 months and spent over 5 months at home.”

Another parent, Mrs Funmilayo Aremu, lamented about the rollover, stating that she has enrolled her daughters in a skill acquisition centre pending the call-off date. 

She added: “Although ASUU claimed to be a good parent, it isn’t doing anything either by shifting ground on her demands or suspending if it can’t call off the strike having known the set of individuals they are dealing with.”

However, a student, Eunice Kayode from Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko, said she has been devastated and helpless after staying home for months. 

“I’m currently doing SIWES at the school farm as my final year program (FYP), which is still running till the end of the second semester right now and not sure or know exactly when it’s going to be over because it is just a rollover strike.”

Corroborating Eunice, Alabi Aminat, a 200-level student of Kwara State University, narrates that the Federal Government had shown a nonchalant attitude towards the Union’s demands.

“ASUU, which was unable to ensure its demands are met under former President Goodluck Jonathan, a PhD, is expecting Muhammadu Buhari, a General who has shown countless times not to be bothered about education, to heed to their demands. It is sad that the students are the guinea pig.”

Since the 2009 agreement was signed, ASUU has gone on strike 23 times, wasting more than 1,450 days (more than a cumulative of 3 three years) without having its demands fulfilled.