UNIVERSITY OF BENIN STUDENT BODY ARE IN SOLIDARITY WITH STRIKING LECTURERS.

As the ongoing warning strike by the Nigerian universities lecturers, enters day three, the university of Benin, students body have commenced solidarity protest in support of their lecturers. As at Thursday, the 17th of February, the protest was in its day two. According to the students, they are determined to continue with the action, until the Federal Government acts in accordance with the 2019 agreement they had with ASUU.  

Stressing further, they call for a robust reworking of the public university system in Nigeria, so they can be comparable to what obtains in other civilized climes. At the commencement of the solidarity protest, the students had taken over the dua carriage Benin Lagos express way by the university gate. However, as at yesterday, the students have left one Lane of the Lagos Benin expressway open, while the other one is on total lockdown. 

Despite all these, the Nigerian government through her spokesperson, the Hon. Minister for education, Alh. Adamu Adanu, is feigning ignorance of any strike. This is the height of insensitivity from a government that had never kept any promise since its inception. The pertinent questions are; do the government have any subsisting agreement with the University lecturing body? How much of the promises agreed on, had been kept since the last agreements were reached? 

Unfortunately, we may be in for another prolonged strike. Things like this, does not bother the present government. For instance, their children do not school in Nigeria. They don’t feel the pains parents go through, having their children idling away at home and on the streets, with all the inherent dangers. They don’t bear the extra financial burden occasioned by the avoidable extension of academic programs. In fact, they feel better presiding over an uniformed and docile populace, who do not have the capacity to interrogate the status quo, irrespective of what it offers. 

In other climes, a government that would be going into a general elections in less than a year from now, especially, against the backdrop of unpopular policies, wouldn’t allow a negative process like strike, to fester. Unfortunately, not with this government.