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By Chinelo Obogo
Social media users have compared the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by ASUU to cultism, saying students gain admission to study in school but are not certain when they would graduate.
Rinu Oduala, rights activist tweeted, “How many times has ASUU gone on strike while you were in a Nigerian University? Me: Three, while twitter user, Orente said, “Since 2017 when I got admission till now, they haven’t skipped one year without going on strike. I have spent five years for a four-year course. School has turned to cult, to graduate is now a now a problem.”
Another twitter user, Bashir said: “I have not experienced ASUU strike throughout my undergraduate days. I attended University of Maiduguri and our set was the luckiest, especially those who did four years courses. Professor Jubril Aminu, the then Vice Chancellor was something else. May God bless him more,”, while Samson said: “You don’t know that Nigeria tertiary education share similarities with cults. It is easy to join but difficult to come out from. Gain admission but to graduate from a four-year course would turn to eight years.”
Henry Shield said: “Dear Governor Wike and Governor Obaseki, diesel is going to N1000 a litre, fuel is unavailable nationwide, ASUU is on strike, businesses are shutting down, Nigerians are groaning in pain. Kindly save us the stress of your fight and give us a virile opposition,” and FS Yusuf said, “Dear young people, your strength and resilience have been tested more than once by the situation of this country yet you all have been very resolute. Please as ASUU extends their strike, I urge you all to use this time to learn new skills that can bring some money to your pockets.”
Cheryl King said: “Before now, when ASUU goes on strike, FG will make series of promises and the strike would be called off. FG won’t fulfill any of the promises and ASUU will go on another strike. This time, ASUU won’t call off until FG fulfill past promises,”, while Farees said, “Dear ASUU, we beg you in the name of God to please call this strike off, I don’t care if I’ll do the Ramadan fasting in school, I just want to graduate.”
Between 1999 and 2020, ASUU has gone on strike 15 times, the longest being 180 days in 2003. In 2013, the strike lasted 165 days and in 2010, it lasted 157 days. In 1999, the strike lasted 150 days, in 2002 and 2020, it went on strike for 120 days each. In 2018, the strike lasted 94 days and in 2001 and 2007, it lasted 90 days each. In 2002 and 2005, the strike lasted 14 days each and in 2017, it lasted 35 days. In 2006, it lasted for three days and in 2008, it lasted eight days.
