A is for apple…B is for Ball…C is for Cat… I sang, as my ebullient kid sister chorused after me, teaching her is a frequent thing to do in these days of strike, at least one’s presence at home ought to ring some relevance.
A moment of silence, and I am lost in thoughts, crisscrossing through the barrage of issues at hand, at the foremost is the prolonged Asuu strike, the endless negotiation between ASUU and the federal government, I was very much relaxed and unperturbed at the incipient stage of the strike, I thought since we were in holidays at the material time, the strike would definitely not take long and that resumption date is still intact.
Days passed, then came weeks and a month, yet the battle persisted and the elephants ceased not to fight, resumption date was drawing closer, my smiling face was gradually turning into a sturdy and frowning one, then it dawned on me that there is indeed fire on the mountains, the battle line has been drawn.
A battle between unionists and politicians is surely like no other battle, with each side relying heavily on its own negotiation skills, oratory prowess and persuasion powers, a peaceful and satisfying end for both parties may only be imaginary, the Minister of Labour Chris Ngige said it all when he said “Note that any meeting you have and people come out smiling, that means somebody has cheated the other.”
An end to the strike seems not to be near for the affected Nigerian student. The recent declaration by INEC with regards to the indispensability of the role of students (especially those from federal tertiary institutions) as well as lecturers in the forthcoming elections is our only major hope, for the oracle in her prophecy declared that students “Must” be in school at least a month before the election. I doubt much if the federal government would engage and persist in an act detrimental to the 2019 elections.
ASUU, on the other hand, believes this is the golden moment, one that only comes in a thousand years, elections is around the corner, a ripe time to press home bitterly their demands, they believe the government is not in a position to remain adamant to their demands at this stage for they may lose momentum, as such constituting a considerable threat to its re-election bid. While all these is going on, no one cares or gives a damn about the plight of the affected student, I sincerely believe it is high time ASUU starts thinking outside the box, strike should not be the only available weapon at all times, as a body of intellectuals, they are more than capable to find better alternatives, an intelligent wife surely knows how to deal with an erring husband without necessarily dragging the kids into trouble.
Lost in my thoughts, my kid sister tapped me gently, and I bounced back to life, oblivious and unconscious of where I stopped in the teaching, I tried hard to remember where I stopped as fast as I could, but it was too late as such the mouth connected to the brain, and the brain to the mind, naturally released thus “A is for ASUU” the deafening silence and startled stare that came from the little girl made me realise there is a problem, and with her gaze fixed on me, she asked “Broda are you okay?”
