24th August, 2020
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Many Nigerians have reacted to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU’s decision to continue the ongoing strike action until the Federal Government meets all its demands.
The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Biodun Ogunyemi, who spoke at the University of Port Harcourt, weekend, during an interactive meeting with critical stakeholders, noted that the demands of ASUU were genuine and in the interest of the nation as it concerns implementation of 2012 universities needs assessment.
Ogunyemi bemoaned that the Nigerian universities lecturers still receive the same salary scale of 2009 in 2020, noting that the sad reality must be addressed before ASUU would suspend the strike action.”
The association went further to ask students to show understanding as they also have their interest in the list of their demands from the government.
“Students who are our children and partners in progress should show understanding, what we are asking from the government are in their interest and the interest of the nation, good hostel accommodation, good classroom blocks that can engender effective learning, laboratories where cutting edge research can be carried out and offices that can drive the process of quality university education.
“So what we are asking of the government are not baseless things, but those things that in 2012, the government conducted during a needs assessment survey and found out that there is widespread rot and decay in the university system.”
However, many concerned Nigerians who feel differently about the continued strike action have taken to Twitter to react to the development.
See some reactions;
I got admission to study economics o n(not medicine) in 2015. Now this is August 2020 and I'm still yet to write my final exams. I new I signed up for ASUU but it shouldn't be this long na
— Vhitoh (@Clevervikson) August 24, 2020
While the rest of the world are rallying behind their students, making sure they don't miss out on education as a result of the global pandemic, ASUU is here holding strike. Nigeria na bounced check oloun.
— Big Head (@didjanaa) August 24, 2020
https://twitter.com/SavvyRinu/status/1297853644373667841
Ur thinking only about the lecturers, what about we the students.
They've not been paid for almost two months abi?
Well me i paid one year house rent for an apartment i barely lived in for two months before all this strike, now the year is almost over and am still at home….— Christian Cruze (@ChristianCruze2) August 24, 2020
What's this we hearing about ASUU again? Students have suffered enough, the COVID pandemic has given most of them a compulsory one year CO, and now ASUU want to extend that? O wrong nau!!! 🥴 pic.twitter.com/y34RyqlpsT
— Flypad Piensa Company (@FlypadCorp) August 24, 2020