The #EndSARS protest did more harm than good for the country as its bombshell remains and ignites fear.
Research has shown that #EndSARS protest was successful and made dreaded impact because of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, prolong strike at that time because an idle man is the devil’s workshop.
Though, strike of such nature is not a new trend in the country but the ASUU strike came with different features because of the coronavirus pandemic.
On April 6, 2021, all the Nigerian 69 polytechnics, colleges of agriculture and colleges of education shut down for an indefinite strike.
This means the future of the Nigerian youths is suffering another misfortune. After the trauma, the poverty and the crashed of hopes caused by the coronavirus, another misfortune is befalling Nigerian students.
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, said the strike is inevitable at this time because the government failed to fulfill the promises made to its members.
The union lamented that the federal government and some state governments are yet to pay 10 months arrears of the new minimum wage owed its members, and some state governments were yet to implement the new minimum wage for its members; yet to implement the Needs Assessment Report of 2014 in public polytechnics and like institutions.
It demanded that the federal government should reconstitute governing councils in all federal polytechnics and in state-owned polytechnics where such is yet to be constituted.
The union said staff are owed salaries in states like Abia, Ogun, Osun, Benue, Plateau, Edo and Cross River. It demanded promotion arrears in federal polytechnics and payment of same as well as annual increments in Adamawa, Plateau and other states with similar cases; withdrawal of the letter containing spurious, incoherent and unsubstantiated claims of PAYE tax liabilities in 19 federal polytechnics.
It also demanded full implementation of the provisions of the Federal Polytechnics Act as well as its domestication in Adamawa, Kano, Sokoto, Abia, Niger and other states affected; stop attempts at forcing the ASUP members from colleges of agriculture out of the union; implement the 65 years retirement age for academic staff in state-owned institutions like in Kano, Kaduna and other states.
Strikes in Nigeria have become the only antidote to workers’ panacea for them to claim what is their own. Workers prefer the work no pay method to wage their grievances, and it seems to be a win for Nigerian government. If government will continue to allow strikes to take effect before arresting it, Nigerians will perceive another motive by government. People will look at it as another lucrative revenue venture for government to tap some money from its workers.
Just recently, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) suspended their strike while, the ASUU strike lasted for nine months.
Meanwhile, judiciary workers, under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), have declared an indefinite nationwide strike to press home their demands for the financial autonomy of the judiciary starting from Tuesday, April 6.
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) is also on strike demanding for better work facilities and the welfare for its members while the indigent Nigerians are dying at home. The strike by NARD represents almost 40 per cent of Nigeria’s doctors at this time of coronavirus pandemic.
The coronavirus is still ravaging the good future of Nigerian youths. It has brought a sluggish progress in JAMB examination, schools’ admission and National Youth Service Corps programme.
And, in this time of insecurity, we should remember that an idle man is the devil’s workshop and psychologists say an emotional trauma is the mother of all crimes.
The picture of Nigerian education is daunting with many faults for students and ASUP strike is another time bomb that will distort the future of Nigerian polytechnic students. Nevertheless, to save the country from crisis, government all levels should stop the April 6, strike planned by ASUP because one match can be the cause of burning a whole village and a hungry man is an angry man just like a devastated person is a mad man as the case of #EndSARS, the event should be a lesson to all while the mayhem is still fresh in our minds.
Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim,
World Literary Forum
for Peace and Human Rights,
Bhutan, Kaduna state
