It is indeed ironical to find that the same set of people who clamor to make Nigeria a foremost contender among the world's most buoyant economies are the ones draining the yolk of its future representatives. As sluggish days progressed into nerving weeks, and then into unbearably arduous months, the 2013 strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities proved to be one of the most devastating and lack-luster uproars ever staged by the body. With most stringent issues being left unattended to, while sensitive blame and provocative accusations are now the daily topics of public discourse, all seems to be unwell among the custodians of our nation's constitution.
It is indeed ironical to find that the same set of people who clamor to make Nigeria a foremost contender among the world's most buoyant economies are the ones draining the yolk of its future representatives. As sluggish days progressed into nerving weeks, and then into unbearably arduous months, the 2013 strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities proved to be one of the most devastating and lack-luster uproars ever staged by the body. With most stringent issues being left unattended to, while sensitive blame and provocative accusations are now the daily topics of public discourse, all seems to be unwell among the custodians of our nation's constitution.
However, this piece is not aimed at revealing the harbingers of the incessant turmoil in the country's various administrative dispensation, nor is it a pointer to the quiddity behind the ASUU/FG showdown, instead, it posits the discernible effects and most importantly, imminent results that the strike action may deal on the Nigerian youth. One ideology that guided the entire citizens to be the punch line of the just-concluded battle and perhaps, the reason why it garnered much publicity and support from within and outside the country was the FG's unwillingness to fulfillits promises to revamp the educational sector, either by allocating more funds or increasing the pay of university lecturers, if not both. The two parties had been accused of having alternative motives for their stern refusal to reach a comprehensive agreement, with ASUU coming under fire from prominent bodies such as Catholic Bishops and the Market Women Association of Nigeria. Meanwhile, Nigerian students who are essentially on the receiving end have been left to question who is really fighting for their welfare.
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Also, various chapters of the executive committee of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) did not emerge from the discord unscathed, having being accused of incompetence and accepting bribes from top government officials in order to remain docile throughout the course of the strike. Needless to say, nothing qualifies to be held tangible enough for the restoration of the educational sector. Recent polls have cited Nigeria to possess the most numerous amount of Internet users, the redundant undergraduates taking a lion's share of the pie chart. While some are beginning to see Internet fraud as a booming occupation owing to the sheer oppression by the ostentatious lifestyles of their peers, others have simply taken solace in online pornography. The number of attendees at night clubs has also witnessed an overwhelming surge, thereby paving the way for constant abuse of drugs and alcohol.
Efforts at reducing crime rates in the society have taken a sudden plunge, with most holiday job providers now more reluctant to employ students-turned-urchins to their workforce. The pungent strike discouraged a large number of undergraduates from reading their books since most of them felt there was nothing to read for. Several social networking sites declared huge profits from the sky high increase in the number of registered users. Although, it is quite remarkable to find that amidst the anarchical political system, some students strived to make good use of their time either by volunteering to participate actively in governmental and community services, or modeling, blogging, just to cite a few.
In addition, the strike created a thriving habitat for famous bloggers both in Nigeria and the diaspora, to reveal various acts of indecency, negligence and corruption at the various arms of government and its parastatals, backed with pictorial and corresponding evidence. This did nothing other than sorely fuel the lividity of the ASUU top guns and its members, who seemed relentless in their struggle for stability in the country's most promising sector. It would be of no surprise if the new annual ranking of the world's best universities is devoid of a Nigerian institution, thereby leaving a sordid indentation on the erstwhile blooming reputation of UI, UNILAG & OAU amongst others. Furthermore, an impending malady might come to play if the victims of the 2013 ASUU STRIKE are rendered unemployable due to months of inactivity, with undergraduates in the medical and engineering field standing to take the most fatal gash. This however, allows either for downright nepotism or rigmarole in job acquisition, while the redundant populace are left to venture into unrelated lines of work in order to make ends meet. The phrase, "ASUU SUSPENDS STRIKE" is a reminder of a possible reoccurrence of an industrial action in the case of a breach of agreement, which underscores the horrendous level of dishonesty at the country's helm of affairs. For the average Nigerian student, the road to redemption stretches to endless extremes.
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The series of ongoing events all culminate in a famous saying, "a nation divided against itself is destined for ruin.” Will Nigeria yield to the Americans' proposition of a nation that would cease to exist come 2015, even though they have their own dirty linen to wash? Will the Nigerian youth one day, stage an uprising and rid the government of corrupt officials as seen in other African countries? Or would the state of affairs be returned to a pristine state following fruitful dialogue and national conferences? These and many more are crucial questions left unanswered by the respective Nigerian bodies, and would go a long way in determining the credibility of the nation's heritage. In the end, we are all Nigerians and certainly are culpable if things go awry.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
By: Adesegun Damazio
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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