Several reactions have trailed the sudden involvement of ASUU, Unilorin chapter, in the ongoing industrial action since its announcement.
Unilorin, the renowned citadel of hope to many dreamers, disappoints its followers this time around. So many students and staff and even the public were caught off guard. They never believed a day or moment like this would ever come.
A strike action is a tool, employees of industries employ, to fight for their rights. In this regard, the academic sector is not an exemption. On several occasions, academics have agitated for their rights, employing strike actions to make the government perform certain statutory responsibilities.
This is because, to these academics, the strike action is the only language that the government understands. Therefore, at any display of “irresponsibility” by the government, institutions of learning, down tools to demand their rights.
In the last 20 years, several other institutions have engaged in the industrial actions organised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Interestingly, the renowned University of Ilorin has avoided the action as though it was a plague. Unilorin magisterially detached itself from such actions. This is under the claim that, it would disrupt or destabilize its academic programmes.
Well, with this singular act of detachment from industrial actions, Unilorin became notable for it’s smooth, uninterrupted academic program. It became the dream school of many admission seekers. Who wouldn’t love to attend a school with academic stability?
To further establish their firmness, this same institution instigated a plenary action against its staff, who participated in the industrial action in 2006. It suspended the students’ union over their involvement in ASUU strike actions.
It seems as though the tides have turned around. The Unilorin who never deemed it necessary to join the national body of ASUU industrial action became the advocator for it this time. What is the drive for this sudden involvement?
How come the institution’s chapter is beginning to reason with the national body? Could it be that they are just waking up from their slumber of many years? Or how do we explain the sudden interest of Unilorin’s chapter, in a movement that was once considered unreasonable?
Obviously, the announcement called for concerns among students, parents and the general public. It portends some ominous feelings about the university. Did UNILORIN ever realize the negative consequences of its action? The university might eventually end up losing its prestige.
As a result of the several reactions that have trailed the sudden involvement since the announcement, Edugist conducted some interviews. Seasoned academics, students’ union leaders and undergraduates from various universities were interviewed.
Several opinions were expressed regarding ASUU strike and the involvement of the University of Ilorin.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Ondo State on Special Duties & Strategy, and a former lecturer in the Department of Classics, University of Ibadan, Dr Doyin Odebowale said:
Unilorin presents a typical case of the Nigerian hypocrisy. This is a university which has always prided itself on being the bastion of subterfuge and mischief. The university has consistently stood against principled opposition to prolonged negligence by successive governments. Many careers have been ruined to assuage treachery and inordinate ambitions of a few. Real scholarship has taken the rear position in preference for religious fanaticism and ethnic bigotry.
Unilorin pretends to be a citadel of learning. It has failed to impress even those who pay scant attention to the shenanigans of the past. What will they be protesting for? What has changed? Why do they think it is right to be on strike now? They need to apologize, first, to their colleagues whose careers were truncated.
“They must visit the graves of the dead and plead for forgiveness. Then, promise not to betray any good cause again. They cannot earn any respect from decent people.”
The former President, Faculty of Arts Students Association, UNILORIN, Folorunso Fatai Adisa also said:
Personally, I believe in the preeminence of change and the inevitability of kismet. Nothing is as beautiful, even if painful at times, as change. Change is not unusual; change is also natural.
Strike is an industrial action and a corrective measure to righting the wrongs in an industry. This time around, in academia. It is commendable that UNILORIN has joined her ilk to fight an anomaly.
“You dont exempt yourself from a fight for a cause, and then rear your face to ask for entitlement when the battle-for the cause- had been won.
Also reacting to the sudden involvement, a student activist, Femi Adeyeye, said:
It is a good move at this critical time. It is just a testament to the long-known fact that the objective realities in this society of ours, would move everyone to the left. There would be no fence to sit on. In fact, the fence has collapsed. We have nothing, but our chains to lose, when we unite and fight the corrupt feudal lords destroying our space.
A 300L student, UNILORIN, responded:
I am disoriented. It is painful because I never thought it was ever possible for us to be part of any industrial action. The academic stability was something we took pride in, but now it is lost. While I sympathize with the striking lecturer, I cannot fail to register my disappointment at the whole thing.
A Legal Practitioner and human rights activist, Badmus Abdulwaheed, also responded:
Strikes are legitimate between employer and employee. It is universal but it must be optional for the member of the academic union. I believe it must be localized to individual university. Since each university have autonomous university council.
With the above, it is safe to conclude that while some view ASUU unilorin chapter’s action of joining the strike as a subterfuge, painful and hypocritical approach. Some others view it as a welcome development emphasizing that change is constant.
As to whether this new turn by Unilorin will be a plus to their university community or minus. And either this is actually a new turn that will be consistent for long. Or just a shadow for a while. All will only be revealed by one determinant called “Time”.
