Latest update on ASUU strike today Saturday, 23 April 2022

‘We want to go back to school’

Students in federal public universities are sad. Reason? The Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are yet to resolve issues on the industrial action embarked upon by the union.

They are lamenting the continuous closure of public universities. ASUU strike has lasted for more than two months, yet, there seems to be no end in sight. However, they are appealing to both parties to resolve the face-off to allow them return to class.

ASUU, on February 14, 2022, declared a one-month warning strike following the failure of the Federal Government to implement the famous February 7, 2019 Memorandum of Action (MoA), which contained important highlights of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement and aggregated the cardinal arguments of the 2012 and 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the 2017 MoA.

The union also blamed the government for failing to implement the December 2020 MoA when the longest strike in the history of the nation took place.

However, it extended the strike for two months after the expiration of the one month warning strike.

Abiodun Adesanya, a student at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to sheathe its sword and go back to the lecture rooms,noting  that the strike was  delaying students’ academic progress

“I would say ASUU has a just cause for the strike. Unfortunately, irrespective of how good their reasons are, they are really delaying the progress of students. What ASUU is fighting for is not just for now, but for the future of our educational system. ASUU should soft-pedal because the prolonged strike is delaying students’ academic progress,”  he said.

Ruth Ighomrore, a 300-Level student at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), called on Federal Government and  ASUU to reach a compromise because students were beginning to lose interest in learning.

“This strike is really affecting people mentally, psychologically, and emotionally. Many  students are losing interest in learning. First, it was COVID-19 and now strike. It is prolonging the number of years one has to spend in school and I am gradually losing interest in reading and writing exams. ASUU should reopen schools,” she said.

Ifedolapo Babatunde, a student at  the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), appealed to both parties to prioritise students in their negotiations.

“I am not just tired of the house, but ASUU is just prolonging our (students) future, causing unnecessary delay and tampering with our plans. I have things I want to achieve at different stages of my life, but they keep disrupting my plans. Please, they should think about our future and just call off the strike,”  she said.

Bamise Temidayo, a  400-Level student at Ekiti State University, urges ASUU to call off the strike

“I’m tired of sitting at home. I want to finish my project. I want to finish my final semester so I can move on to the next phase of my life. ASUU should please call off the strike,”  he said.