Students, Brace Up For Post-ASUU Strike Effects

Olatunde Olawale

As hope rises alive to the great news expected to be announced at the end of the prolonged ASUU strike, many meetings and negotiations continue to hit rock bottom as an amiable agreement seems to not see the daylight.

The heat of the strike seemed to hit the right spot as the NLC concluded its 2-day nationwide protest recently and threatened to go on a strike of its own if tangible solutions were not proffered in two weeks after the protest, in support of the embittered university workers and students. It is already two weeks and no solution seems to be in place.

We are not putting our tongue under our lips by saying our country Nigeria is at a war greater than herself as it battles unseen but prevailing enemies of the states. Bad enough, the tertiary institution is not the only sector that has been affected by this cruel hand of war.

The cost of living for an average citizen has tripled, the PMS Price was also increased and the inflation rate has hit double-digits. The aviation sector, security sector, and our economy have all suffered setbacks. Just recently, the semi-mighty Nigeria currency depreciated to N710 per dollar and although a sharp decline has been recorded, statistics have claimed that it might rise up further beyond the all-time high. 

All these ugly prevailing circumstances have turned the euphoric feeling of the parents and students who have been at home for ages into mixed feelings. As it has become some sort of a norm for every session of resumption to campus and school activities, the first thing that crushes students like a hard brick is the extremely costly nature of every essential material and means of transportation. 

Educational materials, long overdue house rents, and foodstuffs all exhibit avoidable increases but these things are a necessity that students have no option but to adapt. Accompanying this tradition with the state of the country currently, students are waiting to be admitted into a special apartment in hell. Research was conducted to determine the current price of foodstuffs, and how students will adapt to these new changes caused by the failing economy.

Below listed are the previous and current prices of essential foodstuffs in Ife markets.

A congo of garri which costs N250 now costs N300 

A congo of rice which costs N900 now costs N1000

A congo of beans which costs N900 now costs N1100

An item of spaghetti Golden penny brand now costs N450-N500

An item of Spaghetti Crown brand now costs N400

A bottle of groundnut oil now costs N1000

A bottle of palm oil now costs N800

The high cost of living is now causing great danger to the living, in fact, is killing the living gradually. Perhaps students should raise their voices for an educational grant/relief for all tertiary students to ease the hooting volcano. If this does not seem to be effective, students should brace up for what will hit them upon resumption.