Lingering ASUU Crisis

By Fola Lawal

It is now five good months that the crisis between ASUU and the Federal Government has refused to dissolve; rather it has remained as it is with each party sticking to its gun to shoot down tertiary education in the country. Meanwhile the poor students and bewildered parents are left in the lounge with fearful anticipation on when it will be called off. Both parties to the crisis are claiming that they are either fighting in the interest of the nation or the education sector. Then you start wondering why this issue could not be amicably resolved if both parties are sincere. One continues to wonder if there is not more to it on both sides.

Let us take a critical look at this issue. Education is one of the core duties of a dutiful government. An uneducated populace is a great threat to the nation and government alike. A half educated person is equally a danger to the society. Government through ASUU is to ensure that those citizens who are qualified and available have access to this quality education we are talking about. Then what is the bone of contention. Why can’t both parties ensure that things are moving in the right direction? Yes, it appears so simple but we have brought human complexity into it, through ego, undue stubbornness, pride, arrogance, avarice and thoughtless talks.

Meanwhile, nobody has given thoughts to the teeming students and the anguish of the parents during this mad period. The parents are helpless. How can they cope when they are at work with this kids burning with unused energy. Nobody during this senseless period has thought fit to accommodate their feelings. The parents who are at the receiving end after paying for the session must figure it out themselves. After all, it is their children. ASUU and Government are less concerned.

Most of the boys during this period have turned into something else. During the best of times when schools are in session, cultism thrives like hell. Now, without school in session for five months, you may wonder what has become of so many of these children. It may be worse for the ladies as many may join the prostitution crowd for want of what to do or saddle with unwanted pregnancies. Delusion and hopelessness are the names of the game of the game for these kids.

Now, let us take a second look. Whose fight is ASUU or Federal Government fighting? ASUU will claim they want better environment with basic materials of teaching and producing fully baked graduates. With delusion and hopelessness sown for past five months, even with the best of facilities, can most of these children ever recover from the bruises? We know mortar and fine bricks do not make a home.  What lessons are the lecturers teaching the children during this period? That force is the only option for getting things in your own way. And if you can’t get it in your own way you must bring down the roof. These are the people we are paying tax payers money to teach our kids. These are the dons and the egg heads of the society. Could there be no other way to resolve issue by highly educated people than strike. We believe, they could do better than this.

We should all weep for the nation. If gold should rust what would iron do? If the people we look up to in the society to come with solution to the myriad problems besieging the society can not come with fresh ideas but always come with same kind of solution knowing that they are dealing with an unfeeling and uncaring government, then you keep wondering, until you become a wonderer. Apology to Femi Kuti. Are they not creative enough or don’t they know government is essentially evil. Must they play evil with evil?

Now, ASUU want to go back to school and be paid for the five months. The men in the government have been earning their salaries during this period too. Who can recover back the lost months for the poor parents and teachers? How can they be compensated for the anguish suffered whereas the principal parties have lost practically nothing during this period? We should weep for our nation. Where are the leaders? How can they let the strike be prolonged like this? They care less, after all their children are either in private universities or studying abroad. They have forgotten that our live are intertwined and that destiny has brought all of us together.

This reminds me of a tale told by a friend about the farmer, the mouse, the chicken, the pig and the cow all living in the farmland. The famer one day brought home a mouse trap and the mouse became sad knowing the trap was purposely brought for it. The mouse went to the chicken to complain and seek sympathy, but the chicken felt unconcerned. The mouse went to the pig and the pig said it could do nothing about it. The cow while sympathizing with the mouse said life must go on. There was a big noise one night at the farmland and the farmer’ wife could not wait till morning to check the trap. Unfortunately, the trap caught a poisonous snake which bite the farmer’ wife. The farmer’ wife became ill with fever and as we all known that chicken pepper soup is good for healing fever; the chicken was slaughter for the pepper soup. When the illness grew worse, relatives came to stay around and the pig had to be slaughter to feed them. The farmer’ wife finally died and the cow had to be slaughter for the final burial. The mouse watched all these with immense sadness. The lesson is there for us all to pick.

Our appeal is that sanity should prevail and the toga of reason should be adorned. Enough of muscle flexing from both sides. The future of our youths and dear nation is at stake if they truly care enough as they each claim.

•Lawal, a legal practitioner wrote from Lagos