Basically, when two elephants fight, the grass suffers a great deal. The two gargantuan elephants in this context are the Federal government and the Academic staff Union of Universities (ASUU). They have both been enmeshed in the murky waters of a seemingly endless fight which has become a great setback for Nigeria’s education sub-sector.
No one can gaze into the future and predict when the utterly needless fight would come to an end to enable students return to classrooms and continue learning.

It will be recalled that the academic staff union of universities (ASUU) through its national president Dr. Nasir Fagge embarked on an indefinite, total and comprehensive industrial action a month ago over unimplemented consensus reached with the Federal Government in 2009.

Viewpoint Nigeria correspondent visited University of Jos main campus on Wed, the 24th of July 2013 and reported that the school is empty of students following the strike action which had crippled academic activities. In an interview with few students seen on campus mostly final year students who came purposely to see their project supervisors, they expressed utter displeasure and dismay and equally called on both Federal Government and ASUU to bury their differences and save the future of students.
According to an erstwhile president of the students Union Government comrade Aluta Nantok Dashwar, “it sickens me to see Nigerian students at home doing nothing because of a needless strike action. What if these students start resorting to criminality? The Federal Government must not forget the fact that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”. To Emmanuel Audu Zopmal of Political Science Department, “I don’t think Nigeria has a sensitive government. Why can’t the FG implement the sacred agreement they jointly reached with University lecturers? It is a bad precedent for Nigeria”.

Basically, when two elephants fight, the grass suffers a great deal. The two gargantuan elephants in this context are the Federal government and the Academic staff Union of Universities (ASUU). They have both been enmeshed in the murky waters of a seemingly endless fight which has become a great setback for Nigeria’s education sub-sector.
No one can gaze into the future and predict when the utterly needless fight would come to an end to enable students return to classrooms and continue learning.

It will be recalled that the academic staff union of universities (ASUU) through its national president Dr. Nasir Fagge embarked on an indefinite, total and comprehensive industrial action a month ago over unimplemented consensus reached with the Federal Government in 2009.

Viewpoint Nigeria correspondent visited University of Jos main campus on Wed, the 24th of July 2013 and reported that the school is empty of students following the strike action which had crippled academic activities. In an interview with few students seen on campus mostly final year students who came purposely to see their project supervisors, they expressed utter displeasure and dismay and equally called on both Federal Government and ASUU to bury their differences and save the future of students.
According to an erstwhile president of the students Union Government comrade Aluta Nantok Dashwar, “it sickens me to see Nigerian students at home doing nothing because of a needless strike action. What if these students start resorting to criminality? The Federal Government must not forget the fact that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”. To Emmanuel Audu Zopmal of Political Science Department, “I don’t think Nigeria has a sensitive government. Why can’t the FG implement the sacred agreement they jointly reached with University lecturers? It is a bad precedent for Nigeria”.

Binta Damulak a 300 level student of mass communication expressed her displeasure thus, “it is wickedness and outrageous that government officials are plundering the resources of our country to send their wards to expensive schools abroad without upgrading and lifting the face of education in this country”. To Gumut A. Gumut, a final year student of Geography and planning department, “Vision 2020 would not in anyway be feasible given the gross un seriousness of the Federal Government. The Government is insensitive to the cry of students and it is making matters difficult”.
On Tuesday, the 23rd of July, 2013, the minister of Labour and productivity Chief Emeka Wogu in Abuja, disclosed that the Federal Government could not implement the 2009 agreement it reached with the lecturers. He said, we are still renegotiating the agreement with a view to successfully implementing it.

As the strike is still persisting, students from far and near destination have all travelled home. Some have started engaging in business ventures and others stay at home pending when the action will be called off.
“Amicable resolution of the fight between ASUU and FG will go a long way in salvaging the image of Nigeria which is in bad shape on the international scene”. A University lecturer Dr. Maxwell Dapar said.

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ASUU Strike: Students of the University of Jos express displeasure by Dapar Satmak Alexander