LAGOS – As the strike called by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) enters 158 days today, Nigerians have continued to wonder if President Muhammadu Buhari and his Minister in the Federal Ministry of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, have evaluated the negative impact of the lingering strike on the tertiary education sector.

Recall that besides ASUU and other staff unions in the public university space – SSANU, NAATand NASU – are also on strike thus bringing the entire university community to a standing still.

Also, members of the state chapters of the striking university-based workers’ unions – the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) – have at different periods of 2022 have also embarked on strike.

A careful calculation showed that as of today, the strike that commenced on February 14, 2022, is 185 days old. This means that students have spent 4,440 hours, 26 weeks and 3 days, representing 50.68 of 2022 staying idle.

A parent, Mr. Godwin Igbokwe, expressed disappointment that the leadership of the National Assembly seems not disturbed by the continued closure of public tertiary institutions across the country and attributed the unresolved crises to long years of neglect and ineptitude of the government and the governed.

“I wonder if the Minister of Education still feels comfortable occupying the office where he has become inactive. This is the worst Nigeria has ever experienced.

“Why have successive governments in Nigeria failed to resolve the issue before the seeming collapse of the economy? The organized labour unions have staged a two-day protest and the government is not moved. Students have protested, parents have cried out, and the umbrella bodies of students have called out tier members. This is the worst scenario I have experienced as a parent,” he lamented.

However, as the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) commenced mobilisation in preparation for a nationwide strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the failure of the Federal Government to reach an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, saying its members nationwide would join forces with the labour centres until the Federal Government reaches an agreement with ASUU.

NANS in a communiqué jointly issued at the end of an emergency meeting of South West students’ leaders and stakeholders held in Abeokuta, Ogun State and signed by Comrade Adegboye Olatunji, Coordinator, NANS Zone D, Comrade Kehinde Damilola, Chairman NANS Ogun, Comrade Adeleke Quadri, Chairman NANS Oyo, and Comrade Omotosho Surprise, and Chairman NANS Ondo.

The union expressed disappointment in the government’s attitude and urged the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to ensure the strike is called off without delay.

“We frown totally at the Federal Government’s lackadaisical attitude towards the sector, especially by treating the strike of university staff unions with levity.

“We are resolute on mobilising all our forces to show our displeasure and we call on the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to deepen the struggle by mobilising for a national strike action until the government finds a solution to the strike action,” NANS said in the communiqué.

ASUU declared a nationwide strike on February 14th over issues of poor welfare conditions, failure to renegotiate earlier agreements signed and imposition of IPPIS by the government.

Due to what it termed the failure of the government to heed its requests, the unions have consistently announced the extension of the industrial action, grounding academic activities across the country’s public universities.