I sing this dirge to the dying future of Nigeria, whom the government is ignorantly killing. Education is the hope for a progressive future for any nation, and research is the tool it uses to chart its successes. A nation's intellectual capacity is a projection of its future growth and position in global discussions. Innovations and development discoveries are the result of dedicated research and effort. A war or an affront against the intellectual bloc of the nation is a risk of negative expectation for the future of the nation.
The hen is perched on the ropeThe rope is fidgeting,The hen is unbalanced
Should we wear black clothes, carry our lamps, and walk barefoot singing the dirges of the bereaved? Should we sing these funeral songs with the finality of nothingness? Or is there still a pulse that our two fingers cannot understand? Should we speak of death, of dying, or of many things far from being alive? Not of humans but of the Nigerian education system, whose viability and health are deplorable and, more specifically, of the university system which drags down students, academia, the nation and its citizens. Should we sing dirges to the various horrific deaths that destroy education and the nation beyond repair?
On February 14, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declared a strike by its members, forcing universities to close their doors to students for the past seven months, with no hope of recovery. The ongoing industrial action is one of many the university system has witnessed, crippling several processes and confusing many Nigerians. The ASUU has gone on strike at least 16 times since 1999 and for more than 1,500 days in total; this apart from local and internal strike actions on local issues initiated by individual unions in some universities. ASUU's longest strike was the 270 days of total closure of Nigerian public universities in 2020, and the current strike is set to surpass it if there is no favorable development and intervention .
In addition to the ASUU strike, the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Association of Senior Staff of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and other unions under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) are also considering strike action as the only language the government listens to. Two months after the NASU and SSANU strikes were called off, union members say their wages have not been paid since. With the continuous and constant strike actions of the personnel of the university system, the serious underfunding and the lack of average facilities for practical and useful learning, it is understandable that one is unsure whether to declare the system dead or dying. However, it seems to be far from convincingly alive, and if there is any hope of rebirth, there must be a strategy for it.
ASUU has been in constant demand for the revitalization of the university system through the injection of ₦1.1 trillion by the federal government....
I sing this dirge to the dying future of Nigeria, whom the government is ignorantly killing. Education is the hope for a progressive future for any nation, and research is the tool it uses to chart its successes. A nation's intellectual capacity is a projection of its future growth and position in global discussions. Innovations and development discoveries are the result of dedicated research and effort. A war or an affront against the intellectual bloc of the nation is a risk of negative expectation for the future of the nation.
The hen is perched on the ropeThe rope is fidgeting,The hen is unbalanced
Should we wear black clothes, carry our lamps, and walk barefoot singing the dirges of the bereaved? Should we sing these funeral songs with the finality of nothingness? Or is there still a pulse that our two fingers cannot understand? Should we speak of death, of dying, or of many things far from being alive? Not of humans but of the Nigerian education system, whose viability and health are deplorable and, more specifically, of the university system which drags down students, academia, the nation and its citizens. Should we sing dirges to the various horrific deaths that destroy education and the nation beyond repair?
On February 14, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declared a strike by its members, forcing universities to close their doors to students for the past seven months, with no hope of recovery. The ongoing industrial action is one of many the university system has witnessed, crippling several processes and confusing many Nigerians. The ASUU has gone on strike at least 16 times since 1999 and for more than 1,500 days in total; this apart from local and internal strike actions on local issues initiated by individual unions in some universities. ASUU's longest strike was the 270 days of total closure of Nigerian public universities in 2020, and the current strike is set to surpass it if there is no favorable development and intervention .
In addition to the ASUU strike, the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Association of Senior Staff of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and other unions under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) are also considering strike action as the only language the government listens to. Two months after the NASU and SSANU strikes were called off, union members say their wages have not been paid since. With the continuous and constant strike actions of the personnel of the university system, the serious underfunding and the lack of average facilities for practical and useful learning, it is understandable that one is unsure whether to declare the system dead or dying. However, it seems to be far from convincingly alive, and if there is any hope of rebirth, there must be a strategy for it.
ASUU has been in constant demand for the revitalization of the university system through the injection of ₦1.1 trillion by the federal government....
University of Nigeria (UNN) Gate.
