‘As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,’ is a phrase from a doxology of Christian tradition, expressing appreciation to God and acknowledging the immutability of the Blessed Trinity through all the ages. The doxology readily comes to mind when thinking of the pattern of our responses to national crisis. The pattern is always the same. At the beginning of the crisis we make noise, and within a very short period of time, we slip into state of serious apathy. It is astonishing how we lose focus, and abandon critical issues at the least of distractions. With the implosion of PDP at their last convention in Abuja, it appears we have forgotten that ASUU is still on strike, and the students are still at home. Indeed as it was in the beginning, is now, but God forbid, “so shall it ever be”!
‘As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,’ is a phrase from a doxology of Christian tradition, expressing appreciation to God and acknowledging the immutability of the Blessed Trinity through all the ages. The doxology readily comes to mind when thinking of the pattern of our responses to national crisis. The pattern is always the same. At the beginning of the crisis we make noise, and within a very short period of time, we slip into state of serious apathy. It is astonishing how we lose focus, and abandon critical issues at the least of distractions. With the implosion of PDP at their last convention in Abuja, it appears we have forgotten that ASUU is still on strike, and the students are still at home. Indeed as it was in the beginning, is now, but God forbid, “so shall it ever be”!
It is not out of place that the highly-predicted and rightfully-hoped disintegration within the rank and file of the PDP should generate a lively discussion amongst Nigerians and particularly in the media, considering the enviable and unenviable credentials of the Party. The Party that has been in charge of the central government in the last fourteen years, the longest in Nigerian democratic experience. It is a party that is called the ‘behemoth’, ‘the largest party in Africa’ ‘party of strange bedfellows’ ‘nest of killers’ etc. A Party that we are told will rule us for sixty years! It must, and should elicit some excitements. Unfortunately, however, I am compelled to think that we have given too much attention to this politicking that is nothing but a quarrel over the sharing of spoils. ‘As it was in the beginning’ these politicians will sort themselves out and the average Nigerians would be the ultimate losers. Whereas, what concerns us, our future and the generations yet unborn is now very secondary. To this extent, we have given too much attention to the implosion of PDP in the last one week. It is enough, let us shake off the excitements of PDP subsidence and go back to what will profit us as a nation.
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‘As it was in the beginning’ before the outbreak of the ‘good news’ of PDP’s structural collapse, very many Nigerians were already getting tired of the ‘excesses’ of ASUU, what the Yorubas will call aseju. It is argued that if government has shifted ground, it behoves on ASUU too to shift ground! Indeed ‘as it was in the beginning,’ we are getting weary, apathy was already slipping in, even before the distraction of PDP implosion. As usual, those who hold this view just want the students to go back to lecture room, not minding the quality of education the students are receiving in these government-owned Universities. It is instructive to note that even those who criticised ASUU and their present stand would agree that university education in Nigeria is declining by the day. It is becoming a situation whereby people who are supposedly educated are fit for nothing. It appears that they are not considering the fact that if this is not properly resolved, ASUU may go back to trenches in few months time. May this trend never be the same again!
I don’t have any affiliation with ASUU, as a matter of fact, I am convinced that some of the lecturers in our Universities are not fit for academic environment. Once the fundamental issues are resolved, certainly we shall come back to that. Going through all the presentations of ASUU, I think Nigerians should support ASUU in this struggle.
The struggle is not about ASUU, it is about the future of Nigeria. It is important to always correct the impression being sold by the Government apologists that the strike is all about remuneration of the lecturers. No, it is not! It is about the proper funding of the University. It is about providing appropriate and enduring academic environment, which would generate qualitative tertiary education. More so, the proper funding of these Universities is the only guarantee that the children of average Nigerians would have access to qualitative tertiary education. To this end, as a people, we should reject the idea that the Government cannot meet the demands of ASUU, especially not when the profligacy of the current Jonathan/PDP led-government has no match in recent times!.
The question has been asked severally, if the government has been able to bail out private enterprises, like banks; aviation industry, in which politicians who control the apparatus of the state, and their friends have substantial interests, the bailout that runs into trillions of Naira, when the Government was ready to bail out Nollywood with a whopping sum of money, can they ever justify the claim that the government cannot bail out the public institution that is very fundamental to sustainable development of the nation? There is no alternative than to place a demand for a high premium on education in Nigeria. If we continue to sleep and allow the Government to emasculate ASUU, then we have allowed another setback and then it would be “as it was in the beginning, so it is now and so shall it be”- But God forbid!.
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Benedict Oladipo Koledoye
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters
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