Positive, negative effects of ASUU strike on learners( Nigeria students).

By: Yusuf Abdulbasit Hozaifah.

The academic staff union of universities known in short form as ASUU, existing as a labour union that emerged from government workers’ interactions to improve Nigeria’s educational system. The body came into validity in 1978 to succeed a union of similar philosophical mandate, the Nigerian Association of University Teachers, which aimed to install an achievable culture that would effectively transform the country.
The conception of the Union is traceable to the examination of the country’s academic condition, which was then heading towards a crisis. The Nigerian political system was in its fledgling state and was exposed to every kind of manipulation by those in power – a situation that was threatening the moral and professional career of teachers.

The alternating transition between democratic and military governments cemented the reason for the initiation of a group that would be saddled to speak out the minds of its members and do this without any form of deception. In essence, ASUU’s emergence has tackled and addressed the aspirations of professional teachers within its socio-historical timeframe in the country by taking measures that would ensure that a fair working condition is complemented with up-to-date infrastructural facilities in the country’s tertiary academic institutions.

Before the last industrial action embarked on by ASUU, the National Executive Council (NEC), of the Union met from Tuesday 29th November to Thursday 1st December 2011 at the University of Port- Harcourt to review, among other things: the level of implementation of the 2009 ASUU/Government Agreement; the extent of compliance with the 2011 ASUU/FGN Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the execution of the Agreement; Government’s unilateral dissolution of Universities’ Governing Councils; the on-going institutional accreditation and the state of the Nation, including the issue of alleged removal of fuel subsidy, but the lack of understanding between the two parties led to an indefinite strike embarked upon by the Union for fifty -nine days. It was later called of on the 1st of February, 2012.

ASUU again went on a warning strike on 30th August, 2012. All these have le an unfavorable mark on the academic activities of the University students and it has also affected the academic calendar and the performance of the students. On 1st of July, 2013, ASUU embarked upon another Six months industrial action which was called o on the 17th of December, 2013 which really affected the Nigerian undergraduates leading to the involvement of students in many unwholesome activities.

ASUU maintains that the federal government must pull out of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and begin to use the University Transparency, Accountability Solution (UTAS) payment platform.

According to ASUU, the IPPIS is a foreign policy that does enhance the tertiary education system. The lecturers’ job is diligent unlike other jobs out there. The union claimed that the federal government rejected the UTAS proposed by the lecturers because it was formulated by Nigerians.

Till this period ASUU strike has been the Big wicked lion eating our dear sheep, Without any positive reaction from the shepherd.

Students reveal there tribulations
Taofeeq imam, A student of political science of usmanu danfodiyo university, sokoto, sokoto state clearly explained in his statement that, ”

Concerning the Negative and Positive Impact of Asuu strike to students, Parents and the Public, Positively, Asuu as a Union has Impacted on Universities education inorder to let the children of the Poor get a Sound education and has prevented it from being dead Unlike our Public primaries and Secondary schools , without this union the universitt education will have be long dead like the aforementioned ones, The Union has long pressed the Federal govt to do its beedful responsibilites without them I don’t think most Children will have Access to Universities education , It has also done positive things in the life of our lecturers , there was a case back then in 2007-2009 where the gov’t were considering paying lecturers less amount like the teachers in public secondary teachers where an Asst graduate will b receiving less than 50, 000 naira monthly but with these strike there were able to demand for high salaty as nothing less than 90- 100, 000 for a least lecturer.

Negatively, It has caused a lot of hardship to the lives of our Youths/Students especially who has a very slow academic journey , He /She might likelyl end up graduating above 30yrs which is above the requirement for NYSC such students won’t be priviledge to serve and might be denied when applying jobs, some other negative effects includes, Bad influencers , Academic weakness(Less Zeal for education), Idleness (which makes students getting involve in illegal works etc), These aforementioned are the effects, Positive and Negative Impact of Asuu strike.

Advice.
Students who has no skills might use this opportubity on learning something lucrative for the purpose of future and Idleness , If One have already One can Utilize and make use of it amidst strike Unless one is less priviledge to do so , or for some other personal reasons , We all pray The strike should end soon and urge the federal government to meet up with the agreement soon” he lamented.

Mushinat, A hundred 100 student of kwara state university, Malete, stated in her opinion also, saying, ” Though ASUU strike is a norms before but not as alarming as this which is affecting student’s academic pursuit negatively and even ruin some people’s life by not having sense of engaging in any skill or anything great that they’ll keep doing pending the time they will be called. She cried out!!

Some will even get tired of school even after ASUU call off strike

As an instance, some people planned to use 4 years for their degree, with this impromptu ASUU strike they end up using probably double the year they book which isn’t helping the Nigerians generation, she added”.

An unidentified student of a Nigerian university similarly frowned at the industrial action saying things like And there is an alternative which is private or state university,

Can all parents afford state or private university?

Hell no!!
Some parents aren’t capable of sending children to private or state university buh federal institute. Being a big difficulty for the our parents too”.

On the other side, the federal government aren’t considering anything…they should at least put the student into consideration because if they keep on doing this..Many generation won’t be educated and it’ll definitely affect the growth of the nation.

Though I’m not to blame federal government that much if I’m too look at it with the view of how Nigeria are running out of capital. Neither will I blame ASUU because They’re pretty demanding for their right which Federal government are depriving them of.

Muhammad abubakar, A strong activist and a student of usmanu danfodiyo university sokoto, sokoto state, also said; ” It is obvious that The ongoing ASUU strike is a positive shift on some student while it is negative on other.

Me as a person I can’t say precisely maybe it impact on me is positive or negative.

As a well planning student, I have been putting in mind that very soon I will be graduating from school and know the next step forward.

The plan get crumbled as ASUU embark on strike.

Most at times I usually think that it is not that we(students) didn’t have plan during the long strike, but what if the lifespan of the plan is cut short when the association decide to resume.

Let assume a student decide to learn a skill, if all of sudden after 2 month or more on the skill school decide to resume he have to stop.

What of someone that’s taken a course offline, the course have to stop if school resumed.

All this are the negative effect in which asuu strike have posed on most student.

To me I can say it had a positive impact on me as I am able to work on many things that school program would have stopped.

And also I am able to learn a skill even though it is not completed yet, but enrolled..

Also it has positive impact because I know surely that sallah will be celebrated before any resumption is considered.

I can’t forget last year when I celebrated my sallah with garri at school.

Such ain’t gonna happen this year.

The negative effect it has is that it has delayed my academic career and these definitely has change the planned year of graduation,” he expanded to the statement jokingly.

Why can’t they reason with you student that your future are your main priority and kindly call off the strike for the betterment of the student and we parent which are generally the nationwide problem. Children are turning into different things negatively, different from what we know with them, A Nigerian mother lamented, She added that devil used the hand of an idle or deserted person.

ASUU Chairman while being interviewed by the presenter of channel news Nigeria, he said the Federal government set a committee to negotiate with them and they are still negotiating on it, the only thing that remain for them is for the Federal government delegate to bring the documents for them to be signed.

Federal government also insisted on” No work no pay rule” .