ASUU: ITS HISTORY AND ITS EFFECTS OF STRIKE

ACTION ON Nigerians

According to Merriam-Webster English dictionary, Strike can be

defined as stopping work in order to force an employer to comply
with demands. Most Universities in Nigeria have witnessed in
recent times incessant closure due to industrial actions both by the
academic and non-academic staff subjecting students to undeserved
extension in their studies, poor students concentration in their
studies and many more. I would like to talk briefly about strike
actions in ASUU and it’s effects on students.

We all know about the ongoing strike in all public universities

embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities. It’s
effects on students are many and I would like to talk about them but
before I do I would firstly like to talk about its history in ASUU.

HISTORY OF STRIKE ACTION OF THE ACADEMIC STAFF

UNION OF UNIVERSITIES

The Academic Staff Union of Universities which was established in

1965 was originally a part of the Nigerian Association of University
Teachers and gained autonomy in 1978. There have been many
strike actions embarked upon by the ASUU members apart from
internal ones. The first strike was embarked upon in the year 1988
during General Gadamosi Ibrahim Babangida’s military regime in
order to receive fair wages and obtain autonomy for all Nigerian
universities. This strike lasted for 1 year and 3 months. Since then till
this year.

STRIKE ACTION EFFECTS ON STUDENTS

There have been many strike actions embarked upon by the AASU
members but I would like to talk about this current one. Strike
actions frequently embarked upon by various institutions in the
country makes it important to examine it’s effects on Nigerian
Students.

This Strike started on the 14th of February over improved funding for
universities, review of salaries for lecturers, inadequate budgetary
allocations for the educational system.

Its Effects

1. Disruption of Academic Calendar: The academic calendar

has been greatly disrupted by ASUU strikes. Students
come to tertiary institutions to study and whatever
 anybody chooses to study, there are allotted time for
them. As a result of strikes school administrators when in
session tend to rush academic work, might forgo
important aspect of course work, bombard students with
a lot of work with limited study time thereby reflecting
bad grades. It may also allow students to spend more
than the allotted time in school which in turn affects
students after graduation to get jobs as age is an
important consideration for entry level jobs.

2. Encourages Student involvement in Social Vices: Most

students while in school are usually busy with academic
work and social activities. They therefore have no time to
engage in social vices. But when there are strike actions
students are restless and not thinking if school so they
tend to do things usually bad in order to either reduce
boredom and have something doing.

3. Waning interest in the Nigerian Educational System: Many

Nigerian students have lost hope in the educational
system as a result of the strikes as those who can afford
education outside the country make moves to study
abroad. These students will eventually become parents
 and usually don’t their children attending universities in
Nigeria.

4. Waste of Resources: As a result of strike actions, many

resources have been wasted. Most students staying on
campus will be forced to provide more for themselves.
Money that would have been used for other things will be
spent on re providing for themselves as they would have
consumed their resources and if perishables get spoilt.
Most students when preparing to further their education
usually make plans for the statutory amount of time to be
spent in the university but strike actions have led to delay
of getting their degrees therefore causing wastage.

5. Loss of interest in continuing Program: As a result of strike

actions in Nigeria, most students are no longer interested
in studying as they have gotten means of earning large
amounts of money and are not confident of getting such
types of jobs after they are done with their respective
degrees.

6. As a result of the strike many students tend to forget

what they have been taught. The long periods of time
between learning and the strikes also tend to water down
 the quality of education offered to Nigerian students.
These results in half baked students who often ends up
unemployed and lack the basic skills important to survive
dynamic places like Nigeria and other parts of the world.

7. Nigerian students that travel abroad to continue their

education as a result of the strikes sometimes have
problems of catching up with their foreign counterparts
on topics they were not properly taught thereby limiting
students ability to be efficient and dynamic in their course
of study.

8. Jeopardizes Research: As a result of the incessant strikes

embarked upon by ASUU students research are often
delayed. In a situation where a student needs to conduct
research with the help of his or her lecturer may be
delayed because during strike work stops and discourages
students.

9. Toll on Mental health: As a result of the aforementioned

effects on students a toll on mental health comes in.
Students who want to succeed with the help of their
degrees find it difficult to be relaxed or have peace of
 mind because they will often think or wonder about their
dreams, career and plans for the future.

10. Low Standard of Public Universities: As a result of

strike actions many students resort to more expensive
private universities. People don’t want to attend
universities where their time and will be wasted. Students
that can afford it do so.