It is now over three months since the academic staff of the Nigerian universities embarked on strike action and the administration of President Umaru Yar’adua do not find it necessary to bring to an end of the strike.
Penultimate week, while watching the ground breaking ceremony of the inauguration of the King Abdallah University of Science and Technology I nearly fainted when I saw our President Umaru Yar’adua among the heads of government invited by the Saudi monarch at the proceeding. The question is why the President Yar’adua did no see reason to wade into the conflict and resolvet the prolong strike action by the lectures? Is the President not ashamed to be in Saudi-Arabia to witness the inauguration of the Saudi’s King Abdallah University of Science and Technology that can be classified as one of the best in the world today?
The impression one had at the beginning of the Yar’adua administration was that our universities now had one of it own as the President and there is the absolute hope that there would be no more strike action by the university lecturers.
But from all indication, the hope was dashed by the lukeswarm attitude being exhibited by President Yar’adua and his administration to the educational sector, especially the university system. It is quite ironic for the current leadership of the Yar’adua administration to allow the current strike action by lecturers of the University to go for so long, not minding its repercussion on the sides of students, especially those finishing this academic and the parents.
What the Yar’adua administration wants the world to believe is that Nigerian Universities are just meant for the children of the have not as those in the leadership position and their likes does no longer believe in the university system of Nigeria. What this class of people do these days is to send their children outside the country to study.
The world is scientifically going different ways as such, there is the need for the present administration to wade into the current strike action by the lecturers by meeting their remaining demands.
The administration’s adamant posture would not take or make any good for the country and its people. In fact, the President has to know. That he was in that position by the popular votes of the people especially the common men whose children constitutes about 80% enrollment in the Nigerian universities.
The Yar’adua administration has to, as a matter of sacrifice to end the strike.
What the government of Saudi-Arabia under the able leadership of King Abdallah has done by spending of billions of Riyar to put up the magnificent edifice fitted with first class instruments and structures would take Nigeria a long way to do.
Usman Santuraki Wrote In From House No74, Tafida Street, Jimeta-Yola. [email protected]
