The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced it was calling off its nine-month strike, generating comments from Nigerians.
As reported by The Herald, ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi announced the suspension of the strike in a press briefing on Wednesday.
He added that the suspension of the strike was with immediate effect.
This was after Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, announced yesterday that the strike would be called off before January 15, 2021.
Read Also: Failed State: Ohanaeze Ndigbo Backs Financial Times On Nigeria Assessment
Ogunyemi explained that the lecturers called off the strike due to their sympathetic for the students, whom he described their children.
He urged the Federal Government to stick to commitments made with ASUU to forestall a recurrence.
Reacting, many Nigerians urged both ASUU and the Federal Government not to forget lessons learnt.
Dotun Alabi urged the FG and ASUU to publish the terms of their agreement for the benefit of Nigerians.
“ASUU & FG…GOD DEY….now there is the restrictions due to the new variant of Covid-19.
“My question….can you publish the terms of your agreement…..it would be an eye-opener to see what the FG agreed to perform..and whether impacting the next generation for this nine nonths was really worth it.”
Agreeing with Alabi, Modestus Chibuogwu Oguaba, said, “ASUU should tell us what they have achieved with this strike after 9 months.
“ASUU ought to be accountable to those who bear the brunt of their actions and inactions.
“It’s improper to just say “we’ve called off the strike action” without letting us in on the progress made. Or is it in your pocket?”
Oluwaseun Agbede accused ASUU of being selfish for keeping students at home for months over a disagreement with FG.
“ASUU calling off 9 months old strike now shows their level of wickedness; Why wait until the year is over, why wait until another wave of COVID surfaces that may cause another lockdown?
“It’s really unfair that ASUU will pursue their personal agendas at the expense of others,” he said.
Sarah Flourish Olisaneku stated that Nigerians graduates deserved to be compensated for the hardship FG and ASUU put them through before they eventually graduate.
“The annoying thing is that people will be asking you never still graduate? Forgetting that in a course of 4 years, almost 2 years goes for strike. Another one year may be lost to missing result scripts and rewriting Exams (carry over).
“The strike is suspended with conditions. If FG doesn’t meet the conditions, they may continue the strike again.
“Nigeria graduates should be placed on monthly allowance because it is not easy to graduate from Nigeria Universities especially those of us that attended Government University,” she wrote.
Adeiza Christian, however, praised the academic union’s resilience in the face of adversity.
“If labour chairman was as resilient and incorruptible like ASUU chairman, Nigeria won’t have been wallowing in this mess.
“ASUU may be fighting for their own personal gains but their strong will is one to be reckoned with,” he stated.