By Fatima Idera
Parents, lecturers and students have described the proposed ten thousand naira to assist the government in putting an end to the incessant Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, strikes by the National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria as a great thought—fastest way for reopening of Universities.
The parents and students in an interview with The Union Nigeria urged ASUU to embrace the offer, stating that students had been home for months.
Mrs Baala Zainab revealed that parents are always at the receiving ends of the disagreement between the Federal Government and ASUU.
Mrs Baala, whose three wards are currently at home, described the NTPA idea as a way of relieving and putting an end to everyday disagreement between the Federal Government and ASUU.
Corroborating Mrs Baala, Mr. Adeyemi Olaolu who stated that there’s no clear evidence for rejection of the proposed fund, said the ongoing strike is destruction to the society and life of the students.
“I have twin females who are in their final year and should have done their NYSC and gone to their husband’s house but they couldn’t due to the prolonged ASUU strike.
“If only I knew the strike would take so long I would have asked my children’s suitors to come take their wives, as I am very flabbergasted that the union disagrees with the proposed payment made by the parent -Teacher Association.”
Students react..
Abdulrasheed Hammad, a 400level Law student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto said the idea was bad, letting out that Education is the responsibility of the government and the current government has no regard for education.
“I feel the union should fight their fight to the core and should’nt be tired of their struggle until their demands are met.”
He added that the Federal government should prioritize the educational system and forfeit their demand, saying ASUU should be considerate as well as students are the one at the receiving end of this strike.
On a contrary note, an Ekiti state University student, Salako Emmanuel maintained that it was a great thought by the parents, and their solidarity actions towards the month-long strike are well commendable as this volunteering idea would not end the industrial action that usually comes up yearly in public universities.
“The idea is great but, practically, it is not what the Nigerian education system could thrive on as the system needs a sustainable policy that would keep the universities running for its core purpose and not just from the heart of volunteering”.
However,” it is heartbreaking to have spent over six months at home, wasting time and prolonging the day of graduation. But, if the national leaders decide out of the student’s feelings, the problem would continue to ride a toll on the system as well as the students”.
He further added that the possible solution to end the rancor is for the federal government to take responsibility and put back normalcy in the Nigerian education system.
Another student from University of Ibadan, Adepoju Samuel revealed that the whole nation is stranded and the students are made to suffer the brunt of the Federal government’s ineptitude and ASUU’s resiliency.
“I believe the idea is preposterous. It is not the onus of the parents to fund public varsities. The Federal government has the revenues to pump money into the education system but choose to hide under the veil of the country’s rising indebtedness. The idea should be scrapped. The Federal government won’t value it. In fact, there’s a tendency it may be exploited in the near future”.
More so, he said both parties should find a reasonable compromise and stop toying with the nation’s youth future, saying they hope the ASUU cause of a better education amidst the strike will yield positive outcomes.
Similarly, a Social Studies Education student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Akintulubo Precious Oreoluwa said she don’t think parents need to pay the union any sum to call off the strike.
“If ASUU keeps asking for their rights then they are right, it is not a good idea to keep paying ASUU again aside from the school fees as it is not the right of the parents to pay the union”.
Moreover, she said the Union are not been paid for the services they render and it has been documented in the constitution, the right to education but despite the right to education the strike will take long as the union disagree to the idea and the federal government should attend to them because in some countries teachers are best paid because they are known as nation builders.
She said the union should find a liable method to ask for their rights without making the student pay for what they don’t cause.
Strikes and protestsFurthermore, Sunday Awósòro, a student of Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) appreciated parents for coming up with such a plan, saying the proposal did not speak for the majority and was not acceptable.
“I represent the category of students who mainly sponsor themselves in school with part-time jobs.”
Lecturer reacts…
Engineer Benson Ojedayo, a lecturer at Ekiti State University (EKSU), revealed that the university is closed down because there’s no sustainability.
Engineer Ojedayo said parents are still struggling to meet up with school fees and other necessary things, not to talk of additional fees.
“Haven been to the walls of the schools, you would find out that students suffering to make ends meet.
“When you lengthen this on the parents, is it all the parents that would be able to pay?, indirectly the only way you can do it is to tell them you are increasing school fees by M10,000 then they expected that once they now pay they would be deducting that N10,000 to pay ASUU, so the proposed fee is not going to work”.
He further stated that most parents who came up with the plan had wards in final year— and are desperate for them to graduate.
“What most of the parents want is to let the child graduate and leave as responsibility of the FG is shifted unto the parents and it’s going to be a temporary thing which won’t last.
“The union has not accepted the proposal. ASUU is fighting for the common man. What is the minimum wage that you want to increase tuition?, How much is ordinary civil servant collecting?, If you’re not getting money from somewhere else, how do you want to send 2-3 children to school, it would turn around that’s why it’s not going to work.”
Recall that ASUU on February 14, embarked on a strike to clamor for the agreement between them and the Federal Government, and since they had several meetings with the minister for education which has yielded no positive response. This has made the union call for a total and indefinite strike nationwide until the Federal Government meets their demand.
