Promise Eze, 200level Education Economics , reports .
The students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, have expressed their plight over the ongoing ASUU strike which has precluded them from resuming for the 2018/19 academic session, saying that the strike has foiled the academic calendar and halted their year of graduation
In this interview, Pen Press Journalist, Promise Eze, spoke with some selected 'danfodites' on how they feel about this trend and many of them appealed to the federal government and ASUU to find an holistic approach to the recurrent industrial action
Like students from other universities, Usmanu Danfodiyo University students are also trapped in the middle of this web.
Recall that,On November, 5 2018, the Academic Staff Union Of Universities(ASUU) embarked on an industrial action and despite the series of meetings, both the federal government and the ASUU fail to reach a compromise.
In an interview with Hauwa Mohammed, a 300l student of Political science, she expressed her dissatisfaction over the ongoing strike and pleaded to the government and ASUU to find solution to the scourge, she said:
"I really want this strike to be called off as soon as possible and precisely before the elections,"
She, however, said: "My dream of graduating by early 2020 has been impeded already. For goodness sake, ASUU should be considerate enough to accept the money the federal government have offered and kindly allow us resume back to our studies."
ASUU claims that the current strike is truly in favour of the students. Mansur Yahaya, a second year Undergraduate of Education Economics, agrees with this fact.
"Looking back at the history of ASUU strike, you will realize that ASUU have never gotten all their demands met by the federal government. ASUU is indeed fighting for students and should not call off the strike until FG takes them very seriously. Students are the ones to benefit from this struggle," he said.
He added that the attitude of the federal government towards the effective management of higher institutions is utterly deplorable and therefore ASUU is doing the right thing presently, "the only language federal government understand is strike," he believes.
In a bid to proffer solutions to this problem, the federal government have been engaging the aggrieved lecturers in round table discussions. However, some say that the federal government is not doing enough.
Sesan, a 200l Student from CSET noted that the federal government is yet to take measures that would bring the nearly three months old strike to a complete halt, he said :
" ASUU and the government have held meetings that did not produce any meaningful and tangible result. I am not pleased with the federal government because they have portrayed a high level of carelessness."
Undoubtedly, the current industrial action has its sociological effect. With millions of students having nothing to do, they possess the tendency to fall into crime and immoral activities.
Saka Suleman, a political scientist currently in his final year, asserts that many students, due to their idleness, have engaged in social vices which are detrimental to their academic performance .
" The strike has a lot of negative influences on the youths. Academics is the only major activity that keeps many students busy. People who were always busy with assignments, presentations, seminars, research, tests and even exams are now idle. And as the saying goes, an idle mind is the devil's workshop," Saka said
"Some of the male students have now become drug addicts. Some are now cultists and many have now resort to cyber crime.
"Sadly, there are ladies now dealing with unwanted pregnancies, a handful have even engaged in abortion. There is no doubt that this strike has led to a considerable damage," he concluded
No one knows when the striking lecturers and the federal government would arrive at a compromise. Many hold the assumption that the strike may be called off after the forth coming elections. At the moment, nearly all students affected wish and hope that it would be called off as soon as possible.
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