By Ogbu Gloria
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Monday, extended its three-month-old strike by 12 weeks due to the inability of the Federal Government to meet it’s demand.
The extension of the strike came at a time when students were already hopeful and envisaged the end of the strike which started since February, 2022.
In a chat with some students affected by the lingering strike, on Tuesday, in Ado-Ekiti, they expressed dissatisfaction with the trend urging government to find solutions to the matter.
According to Nwaeze Sandra, a first year student of Plant Science and Biotechnology at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), she was initially happy when the strike began but expressed dissatisfaction that its a big delay on her academic journey.
“Actually, I was happy at the initial one-month strike which started February 14th but afterwards have gotten a mood swing about the extension.
The three months strike wasn’t funny, it is drawing us backwards in our academics, we are loosing focus and this is just the beginning of my University education.
Also airing his plight and how he has maximised the ASUU strike regardless, Titus Special a 500l student of the University of Port Harcourt, studying Agricultural Economics and Extension said that:
“At first, when the strike began, I thought that the federal government will respond to them and that it will be called off soonest, so I didn’t really engage myself in much things, just reading and improving on my skill/business.
As time went on, I discovered that the strike wasn’t going to be called off soon. Since I have a business already, I’m more engaged in my business. I see this period as the period to build for the future and as a time for personal development.
I have set goals for myself towards personal development. I have books and courses I hope to finish this period. I also have things I want to improve on especially my skill and I’m also currently looking for a part-time job to add to everything. I just have one semester left,so I’m preparing for life after school already while praying and hoping for the strike to be called off.”
Another respondent, John Ofuondu, a final year student of Civil Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka also shared his grievances about the strike, noting that all his plans are already scattered by the strike and he feels so disappointed.
“Honestly I feel pained and disappointed at the whole strike thing. All our plans are already scattered. I am not happy at all, Asuu and FG are not helping the Nigerian students at all.
But I believe that all things work together for good for them that love God, so I personally have decided to maximize this period and I advise every student to do same. I have enrolled for school of ministry in church and I also enrolled for affiliate marketing course and other digital skills. I’ll also use this period to upgrade my musical skills. So the strike is rather doing me good.
I’ll be happier if they call it off so I graduate and focus on one thing instead being scattered here and there.” he said.
Some other persons who reacted appealed to the university lecturers to consider the interest of students and settle with government.