The Unending ASUU Strike: A Violation of Right to Progressive Education -By Adedeji Afolabi

While the Academic Staff Union of Universities has been on a 7 months full-blown unresolved issue with the Federal Government, many would keep wondering if this has an end in sight anytime soon even with the recent development.

“Little progress I believe is way better than no progress at all.” Thus our education sector which was not its best initially now needs a total revamping and restructure.

The right to education has been recognized as a human right in several international conventions, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which recognizes a right to free, compulsory primary education for all, an obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all with the PROGRESSIVE introduction of free secondary education, as well as an obligation to develop equitable access to higher education, ideally by the PROGRESSIVE introduction of free higher education.

These questions comes to mind;

What is the use of primary and secondary education if the larger part of the society benefitting from it cannot translate it to becoming professional in various disciplines? And while should the Private Institutions have things in control than the Public Institutions managed by the government?

Education transforms the state and society. Education is one of the key ways states can ensure their economic, social, political, and cultural interests. If we are stalled at the tertiary stage of educational development, we will have more artisans and jobless people in our communities and artisans alone can not transform the nation, nor do jobless people add any value to our state of affairs – WE NEED PROFESSIONALS.

In 2019, an estimated 260 million children worldwide did not have access to school education, and SOCIAL INEQUALITY was a major cause. While social inequality is still much pervasive in the Nigerian state, the children of the poor enrolled in these tertiary institutions can break the jinx shortly as a result of being professionals and industry experts. However, there they are stalked.

Unfortunately, the children of the rich and state actors are not enrolled in these public institutions hence the neglect. Two parties to a negotiation can not be unreasonable till this long that the right of unrestrained education to its students is denied.

Decisively, it is now time to start looking towards laws that ensure government must resolve issues about education within the first 2 months. Education is the bane of any society, if we go on like this, we are on a journey to self-destruct.

While it is sad that our country has not taken data collation and research keenly, the economic losses that the ASUU strike has had on communities are untoward. Mobility, Fashion, Housing, Logistics, Food industry, Gaming industry, and other unrelated academic activities on campuses and their environment.

I join my voice in the call for an end to the ongoing ASUU strike by taking decisive actions. If the welfare and security of lives and properties of the citizens is a major concern for the government, then quality and progressive EDUCATION serves as the tool to achieve that.

It should be a FUNDAMENTAL right? This and many more should be ASUU’s concern even as they battle it out in court. The demonstration of the affected student is legal and just. End the ASUU strike.

Unfortunately, for many in the final stages of their study, they are stalked to wait on when this will end. Will this unending strike be the parting gift of Mr. President and his ministers?

The calibre of people who are leaving are Intellectuals, skilled people, professionals, and in essence, the “rational or thinking” members of the society. That says a lot.