ASUU Wins!

 By Tony Afejuku

By the time you read this, our public universities that our federal government’s intransigence caused to be closed for well over seven months may have been opened or are about to be opened.

Those who have seen the well above seven months of battle or of war between the FGN and ASUU as super serious contestation and deadly game of brawn and brain akin to those that can only be found in a play or a novel of tragic proportions might be happy to get to the end of the play or novel at last without pause.

But that is if the drama in the format of a play or a novel has truly ended. If you as a reader or as a critic are living through the FGN-ASUU drama as one might live it in the theatre, recounting, and commenting, as I am doing, you may give me pleasure that never stops to entertain:

Before it truly ends, the FGN drags ASUU to a lower court and a higher court. ASUU’s actions in and out of court could not but touch or sprinkle or strike a certain elevation in each chord of a patriot.

ASUU probably knew that the courts out of the control of benign stars of justice would be turned into malign stars shedding baleful light. But the patriotic Union would be ready to die a thousand times and­ re-invent itself, rather than survive, and live to be a mockery and scorn in people’s mouths.

The Union blessed by Thoth and Living Masters (sneering and laughing at the lower and appellate court’s justices) would be a healthy union to the last. The first phase ends with a sound touch of great hope that will never die…. ASUU prevails!

What I have just carved above is my own version of the FGN-ASUU story to be re-told and re-told, never to be paused, in the coming moons, sunsets and days and months of stories of plays and novels to be retold, to articulate and re-articulate the motives of FGN’s dramatist personae set forth in order to explain to the barest level or most minimal plainness their un-patriotic impulses to those who claim to know what they don’t really know but claim to know, I reiterate.

The question is not whether my “impressions” are right or wrong or true or false. The point I want to make or pursue better can be made or pursued with the isolation of my impression. I should attempt to do so with allusions and references to some of my readers’ remarks on some of my earlier and recent essays here. Thus my impression pauses.

David Iluobe (Doctoral student in a federal university): Thanks for your highly enlightening piece on the notorious FGN/ASUU face-off. Certainly, Ngige is culpable, but I guess his principal, our “certificate-less” president is more harmful to the cause of ASUU than the labour minister who is just an Apostle of Stomach infrastructure working hard to sustain his daily bread like his fellow selfish politicians.

Imagine how virtually everything has fallen apart in our dear country under the cold nose of “President Buhari.” But, all in all, ASUU must remain resolute and persevere against all odds to birth a better university system in Nigeria. All hands must be on deck to OBIDIENTLY wipe out the enemies of the people that Ngige represents.

Samson Eguavoen (University of Benin): Thanks for making me laugh a little especially with the quotation from Kafka. Ngige will never forget the season his flatulence (uncontrollable valve of lies) was exposed. A child who hits his hand on a stone must place that hand on his head. When a person who sets a trap ends up being caught in his own trap ….. I wonder what expression will sit on his face.

Ayoola Abdullah (Location Anonymous): Re: “Ngige’s Casualties.” Well-written piece! Being one of your ardent readers, I’ve been following your every Friday column from the inception of the current ASUU strike.

Keep the ball rolling, Sir. It’s so unfortunate that we find ourselves in this situation: the elites show no concern for the educational system that does not favour poor Nigerian students.

Why can’t the billions of money stolen by the suspended Account General of the Federation be retrieved and added to what the FG has to settle the legitimate demands of ASUU? The hypocrisy of Ngige has been exposed. Keep on knocking his head. Let him enjoy no peace.

Jatuwase (Ode Mahin, Ilaje Local Government, Ondo State): On ”Ngige’s Casualties.” Please accept my thanks in the name of Nigerians for your determination and for ASUU’s steadfastness and striving against those who want to destroy Nigeria. Don’t let them bury Nigeria.

Aliyu Abdullahi (4 Hundred Level student UMYUK, Katsina). Thanks for your piece “Ngige’s Casualties” and other stimulating pieces. Nigeria needs brilliant, educated and highly motivated persons of your kind. You are my motivation.

J.A. Ikwe (Location Anonymous_): Sir, I am delighted by your article “No work, no pay: Oppressors’ law” in The Guardian newspaper of 23/09/2022. It is educative and a pointer to the way issues should be treated. … May the piece go forth to speak the bitter truth to them that have held us hostage for these long months of hell of pain! “ASUU first and last, always: Always”… if I may use a clip of the MOSSAD in its tenacity to defend its people.

Suyi Ayodele (Nigerian Tribune Tuesday Flat Out columnist): On “In Consecration of FGN.” It will never happen and shall never happen that the sword will triumph over the mind! I have never nursed the feeling that this locust of a government will triumph over ASUU.

This government has bastardised our judiciary such that the courts don’t believe their own judgments. ASUU should ‘obey’ the order of the court in its own ways! IBB, in his entire foxy ways, could not subdue ASUU; and here we are with the dumbest of all governments trying to do that. There is saying in my Ekiti place: “Whatever the teeth press and do not cry, the fingernails will only try in vain. ASUU wins! Yet another patriotic devotion to that which is just and noble. History has a positive page for your efforts, Sir!

The selected readers have in various guises shared their patriotic enthusiasm and love about ASUU’s patriotic commitment to the progress and advancement of your country my country our country.

In its natural and patriotic large-heartedness, ASUU has obeyed a troubling court ruling by returning to classes to resume teaching, a tiny fraction of the academic and scholastic duties, responsibilities and activities of its members.

By this act ASUU has demonstrated some degree of its perfect rationality and proof of its sincerity and commitment to truth and agreement – verbal or written – unlike this particular federal government always its words eat. Why so? The recent Appeal Court judgment in favour of the illegal incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu will help to illustrate the answer to this question of two words. It is obvious how far this central government is from the model of honour and patriotism that ASUU is.

Head or tail ASUU wins against this government that seems to have no one whose lips can see and spell the pursuit of truth, honour, morality, justice, rightness and sure-handedness in the treatment of citizens and compatriots.

The FGN-ASUU drama or novel is yet to be finished. And so long as Avatars and Masters of everything preciously precious in creation are with ASUU, all members of the Union shall serenely and worthily hum victory songs and songs. ASUU, as approved by the joy of freedom and victory, shall never allow this unreliable bunch of politicians to divide our people into two classes of “tools and enemies.” Oh, Friedrich Nietzsche, all our universities must teach you and Thoth! Joyful songs are in the air.
Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Thunder!!!

*Afejuku, a Professor of English, can be reached via 08055213059