[OPINION] 150 Days Of ASUU Strike : The Nigerian Government And Its Lackadaisical Attitude

 By Lawal Olanrewaju

As a core element that aids a sustainable and effective society, education serves as a leading component in building a successful and healthy society. The impact of education is second to none and it's the major implement used in integrating individual potential towards building a prosperous society. As part of its characteristics, Education creates a common ground for every individual to explore the deft in them and thus serves as an impetus for national growth and commonwealth of the people.

As enshrined in the constitution of the U.N, every person or individual must/should have access to free education as part of their fundamental right. Hence, education helps in developing the mind and melding with the inherent potential in every individual towards the optimum attainment of set objectives and goals. Development in all facets could have been impossible If the key ingredient that hones the skill of every individual is missing and thus creativity, invention, and innovation will be thwarted and consequently spurred by all kinds of societal misdemeanors such as kidnapping, rapping, and all forms of criminal acts that impede the growth of a society owing to the lackadaisical posture of any government that jettisoned it. Thus, it is imperatively essential for any canny government to give it lasting support and ensure that people's minds are rightly engaged by giving free-for-all access to education.

According to the late Tai Solarin in his quote, "Whoever closes a school for a week has not done unjust but whoever closes a school for a month is an enemy of the state". Going by this position, could it be said that the major decline in African development most especially in Nigeria in all ramifications alludes to the disparaging dispositions of the leaders who pay little or no attention to the tool that ought to give the nation a spring in its step by looking away from the most important aspect of development. Exploring the falling state or flunk state called Nigeria, the sole aim of the antecedents that labor for the independence of Nigeria was to ensure that every Nigerian have access to free and quality education as part of their exclusive right as a citizen and that is why it is always a core subject in their campaign manifesto in flaunting their mantras for the populace and thus it reflects in the country's output of intellectuals year in and out. Attributively, Nigeria became the bastion of knowledge to all African states and the center of deep intellectual grit that conducts research for member states and thus shot Nigeria upfront into the frontiers of nations that have intelligent individuals that are highly cerebral. The erstwhile nationalists understand the power of education and its usefulness in developing a nation and that is why they mandated that every Nigerian is fortified educationally without any limit because they know the potency imbued in it and which in turn produces a lot of eminent personalities like Prof Wole Soyinka, Prof Chinua Achebe, Prof Kenneth Dike, Prof Theophilus Ogunlesi other know-to personalities that are fortitudely deep in their reflection. 

So what could be the major drawback to the excelling strength that brightens Nigeria's image in the international community in today's polity, especially the educational sector that has lost its value? Who is to be blamed for the ramshackle education in Nigeria today, is it the federal government or the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who are persistent in receiving their fair share and strongly refused to rescind their decision if the government refuses to meet up with their demand or is it the government that stands on a no-work-no-pay decision. Who then suffered the brunt of incoherent disparities between both parties; obviously the students and this is the major setback that gives birth to criminality and all forms of social decadence prevalent in Nigeria today.

The hardline posture of the government and ASUU has made Nigeria students' lose hope in the education sector and consequently made them abjured their loyalty to the nation and as a result, seek pasture in another nation where they would be given a plain-level-field to explore their immanent talents. According to statistics, there are about 3 million out-of-school students in Nigeria and 2.5 million Nigerians who don't have access to free and quality education. Therefore, the upsurge in illiteracy has detrimentally caused a setback to the development of the nation in terms of science and technology and consequently reduced It to a midget and hugely dependent on member states for its survival.

The offshoot of mayhem prevalent in Nigeria today is traceable to the unengaged minds that are structuring their energy towards surviving the scorching poverty by any means and as result become indifferent to the ripple effect their horrific action can pose on the community at large. Only a sensitive government put measures in place to curb this menace by utilizing the potential of each individual positively towards building a productive society. However, failure to capitalize on this will result in all kinds of degradation and opprobrium the Nigerian state is witnessing owing to a lack of opportunity scanty for exploration and consequently prompt "Survival of the Fittest" propounded by Ludwig Wittgenstein. 

So, on this note, it is advisable that all hands must be on the deck by cooperatively putting the right peg inside the round square hole, it is high time the government and ASUU come to the round table to resolve their differences and restore the beautiful image the Nigeria education once had in the 90's that made her the frontier of knowledge and bastion of excellence putting into consideration the students and parents who are getting frustrated anytime any disagreement surged between both parties. In furtherance of this, the only panacea for social peace, wealth, and growth of a nation as mentioned above is through this tool and it principally hinged on the right engagement of people's minds through qualitative and quantitative education, absconding this will elicit ominous and illicit acts that will further dampen the growth of a nation. As it is popularly known that "An unengaged mind is a devil's crude implement", so on this note, the government and ASUU have to reach an agreement on how to nip their differences in the bud and proffer a lasting solution to the protracted and incessant strike action embarked upon by the union. It is time both parties reached a consensus and put into consideration the students that suffer setbacks whenever they refuse to agree with each other and concertedly put measures in place in other to ward off the inevitable danger that lies ahead.