Taiwo: Welcome to another episode of the Good Citizen radio show. I’m very excited to be here today. My name is T.I, I bring you greetings from your one and only Mummy G.O and I have here with me today a special guest, co-host, do you want to introduce yourself?
Uche: Hello Good Citizens, my name is Uche. I’m here with Taiwo
Taiwo: Hi Uche, you are welcome. So today we’re going to be talking about a very important, serious matter. The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) strike. That’s what we’re talking about today. So, they’ve been on strike for how long?
Many months now, which is seven months or more than that.
Uche: It’s been a while since beginning of the year. It’s been a while.
Taiwo: And now they have caused roadblocks and all of that. So, it calls for some sort of discussion. What do you think about the whole situation?
Uche: I think right now, since there’s no way forward, there’s no looking like there’s any way forward now, I think they need to start speaking up for themselves that they need to get back to school.
Taiwo: Our listeners at home, what are your opinions, suggestion about the topic, we are discussing “The Nuisance of Idleness.” Are they causing nuisance on the street?
Call us on 0700923923 you can reach us on WhatsApp on 08173136193. What’s your opinion, let’s hear what you think about this ASUU strike, the students going their own way of getting this solved.
I personally think that, coming from how ENDSARS went, I don’t know how much of a fact their protest is going to be.
Uche: I think being the 16th strike since our democracy, it’s time for students to actually take things into their own hands because if you actually look at the result of ENDSARS. Even though it wasn’t too successful there was still some impact. So, I think they’re also trying to use that. At least this one is nonviolent. They’re just saying that since they’re probably playing politics with their education at this point this is what they need to do in order to get the government listen to them. Because nobody can deny that it has had an impact on the educational sector, so long as it remains nonviolent, I think students should also have a voice priority.
Taiwo: I think that if it would have an impact, they should go for it but like I said; this is the Nigerian government we are dealing with, this is the educational system we are dealing with but I also think that everybody should sort of get involved not just leaving it to the students, not just leaving it to ASUU, government, I think different organizations. Because one of the things this does is now somebody who should have graduated, hasn’t graduated, and then the person is getting older, half, the graduate entry age. And then organizations in Nigeria don’t want to employ people past that age.
So, I think that if private sectors, even public service get involved in this conversation to say that not only are you not graduating you also reduce manpower
Obed: Did you go to a public school?
Uche: No, I didn’t, I went to a private school
Taiwo: I did
Obed: Did you ever get yourself in Bursary, do you know people that did?
Some people don’t get paid. Let’s say you have a list of 10,000 people, 5,000 get paid the rest is squandered by people who are actually not students. What am I trying to say, the politics today started as Student Union and activist but students don’t understand, this is plain politics. This is 2022, the elections are 2023, I feel strongly this is political.
Uche: Are you saying it’s a political thorn to ASUU or the students?
Obed: It’s a political thorn to the student. Let’s talk about this, I’m sorry I’m not being holistic, we have been in the system to understand how it works. Every SUG President in the political era is the one that cashes out.
Uche: I also think Student Union nowadays are not as activist as of then
Obed: Okay, why is this protest all of a sudden, they didn’t start in the second month, third they waited for seven months.
Uche: I think this has been the longest right
Obed: When I was in school, I did 13 months you guys haven’t seen strike
Taiwo: Yes, because I was going to say during my time, I think the longest we had was about 6-7 months
Obed: I did 13 months; I saw one in 2009. I feel it is good for young people to address stuff but I don’t trust anything that is overly political I always feel there’s more to it. And I feel for the people on the street joining, why did they block the International airports blocking people. Why didn’t they go to Abuja or the National Assembly
Uche: But they have gone to the Abuja airport, I think when it’s getting frustrating, when they are not listening to them and it’s getting much, I don’t think this has any political undertone. I just think they are very frustrated
But the cuts for me is I feel that it is good for young people to address stuff, but I don’t trust anything that’s overly political.
Getting really frustrated when they’re not listening to them and it’s getting too frequent. I don’t think anybody should even make it politics. I don’t think it should be made political at all. I just think they’re very fortunate. Okay. Because if you look at some of their tweets right now to talk about, they’re complaining that most of the people in charge of all these things, their children have gone abroad and they’ve graduated at the time that they’re supposed to graduate.
So why are they still here at this point in time? I think their motive is very clear right now. They’re getting frustrated. These tracks are getting too frequent
Taiwo: Before I would say my point, please, if you have your clear questions, suggestions, please call 0700923923 we would go on a short break right now. Please call in, send a message, let’s hear what you think.
Students getting involved in protesting is this sense or otherwise.
Uche: I think people who are arguing that it’s a nuisance is because they started seeing rights and vices like students actually gambling more, a lot of cybercrimes. If you watch some interviews, some of them have become very jaded about the educational sector in general because it’s like the government doesn’t care about education, so why should we?
Taiwo: Let me see if there are generally but I think one way to look at it, you can go the other way and go protest and all those things. Another way to look at it is also sort of live above the system, do things that sort of bypassing the system. One thing I’ve come to realize in this Japa Era is that a lot of fun people are willing to sort of help you in terms of educational system. And I know that not many people would travel abroad. That’s not what I’m talking about. But there’s an idea that I have that if you are really concerned about your education and all these things, people in 400 level can form a tutorial group and take people in 300 level people in the different faculties.
I know that it seems fast touched, but if you do that, then I don’t think any foreign government will see the effort of you doing that and say, okay, this is the nuisance.
Uche: They can only get out for so long.
Taiwo: As I said, let the other organisations and public sector sort of get involved. Let them offer internship positions whether paid or unpaid. Maybe they could do stipends for their transport and all that to just engage them that way. It’s more like do whatever you like.
I’m still moving forward with my life. I’m still getting education. I’m still getting value for what I have to offer and all of that, but what do you think about?
Obed: I think that’s a cool idea. One thing I noticed about the strike experience on my end was the rise of entrepreneurs. So, I feel that for me this thing could be pursued appropriately without hitting the streets because something gets wrong, people will hijack it like it got hijacked. At the end of the day in the ENDSARS we know that the things that went wrong but good people emerged. I can see like ENDSARS someone missed an iPhone 12 in my town, it was tweeted and he got it back. That was not regular. So, you won’t see people become distrustful, do all you can. I feel they should focus on people while we that are the government of this body pursue it appropriately
Taiwo: Yeah, now they are being ordered to resume. Federal government took ASUU to court and they were ordered to resume. I mean the same negotiation we are on it won’t stop but they should still go back to resume.
Obed: Now do you think ASUU would fall for that?
Uche: They are saying their lawyer is recalling that. If you look at ASUU’s demand, it’s not like they haven’t demanded in the past, they are saying government has not fulfilled their promises so government saying that they should just go back doesn’t make any sense.
Taiwo: I also think one of the best things to do in this era as a Nigerian is look at Western world, I know we might not have the same issue but you will get innovative ideas. Can ASUU look at other bodies as they are waiting for the Federal government to answer them, what other opportunities can they pursue to get support
Uche: And another thing is when you think of all the labour that you’re doing so far, when you think of the fact that I’ve worked this long, I deserve my money, I deserve what I’ve worked for. It’s like somebody has been owing your salary for a long time maybe you have a lot of debt right now, and you have so many things. You can’t just let that go easily.
Taiwo: You are not letting it go, you are just not stagnating your life because of it
Uche: I think either way they are stagnated because there’s no way forward. We have to just think outside the box.
Caller: My name is Bidemi. The court is the Industrial court, a verdict has been given, that’s the court responsible for rolling over industrial order. has given a verdict
Uche: Okay, so you’re saying it’s the industrial court. Is there like, a consequence of the Industrial Court bringing them? You’re trying to make, you’re saying that the difference between when you say the High Court, there’s a point you’re trying to drive I don’t think you’re bringing it out very well. I just want to know what you’re trying.
Caller: The point is when you tell people it’s a court order what comes to mind is maybe it’s a High Court that has jurisdictions industrial court
Taiwo: All right, thank you so much for that comment. We’ll take note. Thank you so much for joining. All right, thank you. I hope that we have been able to kick something from today’s session.
Obed: Let me just correct an impression, right? It’s a court order. You are right to say it was a court order. And that’s why ASUU’s lawyer Fermi Falana has actually filed for a stay of execution. So, it doesn’t appear as though ASUU is defying of a court order. So, it’s a court recognized by law. And if that order is not set aside, ASUU must resume. And that’s why the lawyer has acted swiftly to say, look, we need to set aside this order and also file for a stay of execution to say we cannot go back to school until these issues are sorted out. So, the order is subsistent until it is set aside.
So that listener has to know that that’s a valid Court in the land.
Uche: Okay, thank you so much. From all this, we’re just saying that students need to go back to school. Everybody needs to put aside their political motivation. Whatever selfishness that you have, there’s something very crucial at home that somebody’s education is at stake here. The future of our country is at stake. Students need to go back to school. So please, let’s consider them in all of this.
Taiwo: And I would say that while we wait for the parties to reach an agreement as an industrious student, please find if it’s really about the academic knowledge, I’m sure that you can apply for courses online. Reach out to organizations reach out for internship opportunities. I just don’t believe the state of your life, the state of your education to whatever happens, stands. Let’s continue to be aligned to one another.
This show is brought to you by CSR-in-Action currently sponsored by Act Foundation. Till next time. My name is T. I and Uche is saying Hi.
Stay safe. God bless.
