By Sadeeq Sheshe
Government at the Federal level (and some few states) have directed the salary stoppage for particularly striking ASUU members who have been on a roll-over warning strike for almost 2 months already. This decision has continued to generate a lot of public discussions all over the country.
However, one thing has been consistent about this government decision. The continuous appraisal and mocking of Striking members by most members of the general public. Despite ASUU ‘s continuous fight and struggle against government‘s promise to destroy tertiary education, the continuous lack of support from the Nigerian populace has been a major problem. Others blame ASUU for the lack of public sensitization and awareness creation for the people to be even aware of the ASUU’s resistance.
It is still heart-crumbling to see that the very public that supposes to back up ASUU in their struggle are now the ones laughing at their agony. Though not completely absolving ASUU for that communication gap issue the said ignorance is probably deliberate and stemmed from people(many but not all) ‘s stigmatization of University Lecturers. Nigerians are markedly the architects of their own destruction. You continue to laugh and mock at the perilous life a University lecturer will be subjected to because of the ineptitude of a wicked government to deter a call for a better life, it is at our expense.
This government will, after successfully destroying tertiary education whose major beneficiaries are the poor Nigerian masses, turn to another important sector to set it also on the path of destruction as well. They will make sure any possible system where the poor masses are the major beneficiaries are in absolute shambles.
Dear ASUU, listen! It’s time for this your struggle to be absolute about your members and their betterment. Those things you have to keep on fighting for general Nigerians are not making any sense to the wretched souls of many a few Nigerians.
They keep laughing at your struggles and the pain you are passing through. All the struggles and sacrifices are absolute to nothing in the eyes of many Nigerians. They believe you have things in hiding and the government is paying you millions as salary, sabbatical, and whatnot. Ignorant of the populace even think you want to kill the University Education because your children and wards are abroad studying, as Ridiculous as that sounded!!
Nigerians do not learn in an easier way and history is consistent with this. It’s far better to concentrate now on the welfare and school-based welfare of your members rather than keep fighting an unappreciated one. Allow Nigerians to learn the harder day, they will one day realize how and why, and let’s just hope it won’t be too late.
Sadeeqsheshe@yahoo.com’
