The suspension of the strikes embarked upon by the academic amalgamations of polytechnics and colleges of edification has brought assuagement to students, indites ARUKAINO UMUKORO
For thousands of students in polytechnics and colleges of inculcation nationwide, the turn of events in the last one week, which transpired a few days apart, was a welcome assuagement.
Last week Saturday, after 10 months of dormancy, the Academic Staff Coalescence of Polytechnics suspended its indefinite strike action for three months to the mitigation of their students.
The suspension, which was promulgated after the National Executive Council meeting of the coalescence, was the aftermath of an earlier meeting with the incipiently appointed Minister of Inculcation, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.
Students of the Colleges of Inculcation did not have to wait too long as this was followed on Tuesday by the promulgation that the Colleges of Inculcation Academic Staff Cumulation has additionally suspended its eight-month strike in principle. This was after the intervention of the Chairmen of Governing Councils of Federal Colleges of Edification.
While ASUP had been on strike since October, 2013; COEASU embarked on a strike in December, 2013.
In both meetings with the cumulations, both ASUP and COEASU were given assurances that the thorny issues that led to the strikes would be resolved.
“We believe that, considering the pedigree of the minister, the promises he has made, and the testimonies we have received concerning him, we have no reason to doubt his integrity and capacity to authentically bring a lasting solution to the issues,” the President of ASUP, Chibuzo Asomugha, who corroborated the suspension of the strike, told SUNDAY PUNCH last Saturday.
It was identically tantamount view expressed by the President, National Association of Colleges of Inculcation Academic Staff Amalgamation, Mr. Asagha Nkoro. Nkoro later told SUNDAY PUNCH that he hoped the issues which led to the strike would be plenarily resolved.
For students, their assuagement was evident as academic activities picked up in their sundry institutions.
At the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, students expressed their feelings to our correspondent who visited the institution during the week.
For a National Diploma student of the department of Arts and Design, Mr. Emmanuel Oladele, it was commixed emotions.
“I am jubilant on one hand and doleful on the other hand that the strike has been called off. This is because, albeit the strike has been called off, the school has not resumed plenarily. I don’t optically discern the essence of calling the strike off if lectures will not commence plenarily. I peregrinated to my Head of Department and he verbalized the Federal Regime had to pay three months of their salaries first afore they commence anything. We hope that the mazuma is paid to them and we can commence lectures in earnest,” verbally expressed Oladele, who integrated that he utilized the period of the strike to develop his graphic skills.
Another National Diploma student of Mechanical Engineering, Mr. Segun Badmus, withal echoed homogeneous views. He verbalized, “I’m ecstatic the strike has been called off. I enrolled in a computer school for three months during the period. But when we commenced receiving several rumours that they would call it off, I decided to sit at home. So, far, students are turning up gradually. It’s good the strike was suspended for three months; we hope the regime can meet all their authoritative ordinances afore then.”
For some, they could only hope that there won’t be another strike in the near future.
A year one student of civil engineering, Mr. Wole Oyi, verbalized that albeit he was blissful the strike had been suspended, the time lost by the students can never be regained.
“I am jubilant that I’m back in school because sitting at home for 10 months was not hysterical at all. If not for the strike, I would have been in ND II by now. I pray the strike is thoroughly called off. It has not only affected our school calendar, it is withal affecting our future. We don’t want strike anymore. It is not possible to go for the National Youth Accommodation Corps scheme this year because of the strike,” he told SUNDAY PUNCH.
Luckily, for Ms. Glory Udoh, she graduated just afore ASUP on strike commenced last October. Udoh, an HND graduate of Microbiology from Yabatech, verbalized she came to commence her clearance to make the NYSC batch in August.
“The strike affected us students, especially those who had carry-over courses. They can’t meet up with the accommodation batch in August because of those courses they have not indited. So, they have to wait till next year. Additionally, customarily, a student should be able to verbally express he or she can graduate at a particular year, but these academic strikes disrupt that plan and one can’t soothsay one’s year of graduation,” she verbally expressed.
In her view, ASUP should have called off the strike thoroughly rather than suspend it for three months.
“After 10 months of strike, I don’t optically discern the essence of the three-month suspension. They (the amalgamation and Federal Regime) ought to have settled everything by now, call it off thoroughly and move on. This is because the future of the students is at stake. Students withal have other consequential things they optate to do with their lives after their edification,” she integrated.
Many other students lamented the fact that the academic calendar has been affected by the strike and would require to be re-arranged. “I just hope lectures can commence anon enough,” verbalized Ms. Sholape Olufade, another student.
However, some polytechnic students like Mr. Ugochukwu Nwaogbo of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, did not feel the brunt of the ASUP strike.
He verbally expressed, “My school was not involved in the ASUP national strike because it pulled out from the union’s national body afore the commencement of the strike. Their own internal strike commenced about a week now over the payment of their salaries. But I’m optimistic it would be called off anon. My friends in other polytechnics affected by the ASUP strike are jubilant the action has been conclusively suspended.”
It was identically tantamount musical composition of mitigation at the Federal College of Inculcation, Akoka, Lagos, where students expressed their delectation at the suspension of the COEASU strike, especially those that are in their first year.
A student of the Department of Integrated Science, Mr. Anthony Gemadu, verbally expressed he had already commenced processing his admission into the National Open University of Nigeria when he auricularly discerned the news that the strike had been suspended.
“Now that the COEASU strike has been suspended, I will perpetuate my studies here at FCE and drop NOUN. But the Federal Regime should find the best solution to these strikes. The FG should meet the ordinant dictations of our lecturers plenarily for the good of our edification,” he told our correspondent.
“I don’t want to waste any more time at home, because I spent two years at home afore I gained admission into the polytechnic,” verbally expressed another year one student, Mr. Emmanuel Tosin, who verbalized he spent most of his time playing the viola and going to choir practices in church.
“Staying at home for this long has not been facile. Our lecturers should just do what they require to do and reach a concrete acquiescent with the regime, let them come back to work, we are genuinely missing them,” verbally expressed another year three student, Mr. Peter Abbey.
Abbey and his fellow students won’t have too wait for too long.
“Following the minister’s intervention, COEASU strike was suspended for three months with effect from Monday, July 21,” the General Secretary, COEASU, Akoka chapter, Mr. Oje Ebenezer, told our correspondent.
In the same vein, a lecturer in the department of statistics and chairman, ASUP, Yabatech chapter, Mr. Adeyemi Aromolaran, told our correspondent that academic activity would commence anon.
“I am yet to optically discern the school calender, but I’m vigilant that the academic board met on Thursday; and the college management is making efforts to ascertain that the school resumes for academic activities,” he verbalized.
For students of polytechnics and colleges of inculcation, one thing is pellucid, they cannot wait to go back to the classrooms.
