Drawing one's conclusion from the premise above, there's no gainsaying that students and the masses at large, still believe a 'miracle' will happen under the present administration to transform different institutions
Yesterday, the media was awash of the news of ''ASUU resumes strike". While this news got a widespread share among the students circle, it must be noted that thousands of students on sighting the news, began to lament on the possibility of returning home, after a three-months strike caused by the lackadaisical attitude of the FG towards Education.
Thousands of students who did not wait to read the content of the news judged the book by its cover and thought the strike was another nationwide strike just like the recently suspended nationwide strike of ASUU.
However, my major concern isn't the fact that a particular branch of ASUU is embarking on strike, or whether ASUU will resume a nationwide Strike, but the fact that students think a stable academic calendar is achievable under a government that considers education less important, and in fact (these students) went ahead to support the government in its bid for re-election, is the most deceptive day-dream.
In an official opinion poll, conducted before the 2019 general elections, it was revealed that students still prefer PMB/APC to remain as the President/Party in power as against his siamese candidate/party— ATIKU/PDP, and neglecting the somewhat 'progressive ones' such as Sowore/AAC, or maybe Mogahalu/YPP etc. Knowing fully well, that students constitute the larger percentage of the voters, this opinion poll was further complemented by the results of the general elections, where PMB emerged victorious with over 15M votes, even though, the election was characterized with a lot of widespread rigging and intimidation of voters across the country.
Drawing one's conclusion from the premise above, there's no gainsaying that students and the masses at large, still believe a 'miracle' will happen under the present administration to transform different institutions from the less than 12th-Century standard to a 21st-Century standard, in order for these institutions to be able to compete with their counterparts in the developed parts of the world and also stop the justifiable incessant strikes of the staff unions of the University, which definitely, is a mirage under this present administration.
The Buhari/APC's Administration has shown a hostile attitude towards qualitative education, which undoubtedly, is the only key to the development of a country like Nigeria. The Buhari/APC's government has failed to do the necessary, in terms of playing own roles in the proper funding of the education sector.
Buhari/APC's administration, for 2019, has only proposed a meagre percent of 5.2% of the country's budget to the education sector, which is to cater for primary to tertiary education in Nigeria. In fact, in a report published by Punch Newspaper, sometime in 2017, it was revealed that for the over 17,000 political office holders in 2017, they will receive over 1.3 trillion naira, while ASUU which for close to a decade now, have been on loggerheads with the FG on the revitalization of Nigerian Universities, demanding that a sum of 1.1 trillion naira for five years to be released for its purpose.
Hitherto, the Buhari/APC administration has refused to honour their agreement with ASUU, but however, proposed that students should bear the brunt of funding education, through the introduction of a new policy where students of public universities will pay 550,000 on an average, knowing fully well, that the several state government find it hard to pay workers inter alia.
Noteworthy is the fact that, the struggle and demands of ASUU is in the interest of students and also logical in a sane society. ASUU understands the need for proper funding of education which is not an end itself, but a means to an end. The proper funding of education will bring about a university environment that is conducive for learning and teaching, and will also make available necessities needed for these teachings, which is present in developed countries of the world, and can drive the nation towards being productive.
Students must understand that the factors that guarantee stable academic calendar is primarily, proper funding of education sector and payment of workers salaries/bonuses as at when due which clearly the Buhari/APC administration has failed woefully in doing.
While students should have rejected Buhari/APC in the last election, but due to some reasons which is caused primarily by failure to think beyond the repressive box supported their rebid for second term. As we cannot continue to lament over the unfortunate situation, students must understand that it is better late than never, as the condition is still redeemable.
Students across board must actively participate in students' union is in their various schools and take back their unions from stooges of the university management who have also joined hands in oppressing students who they should defend. Students must elect ideologues who will defend students and fight with students whenever anti-students policies are introduced.
Students must also support ASUU in demanding proper funding of education as it is the backbone of any sane education system. Students, during the electioneering period, must reject all anti-masses parties— parties that want to privatise education sector or parties that want to introduce Education Loans and vote parties that have masses-driven manifestos.
When all these things are done, if we don't achieve a stable academic calendar in our generation, we will realise that we've fought and won a war against incessant strikes for generations to come. We either fight or expect strikes like summer and winter vacations combined.
Stop The Underfunding Of Education Sector Now!
Viva Aluta!
Alawode Afolabi is an Undergraduate of a Nigerian University. He can be contacted on 09030875802 and [email protected].