By Ernest Chukwusoro Igwe
Strike as a fundamental human right across all divides of human society is a form of protest against such vices as ill treatment, unjust practices, deviation from the norms and expectations, sadism, wickedness, denials, and not keeping faith with agreements. Strikes come in different forms and may include crying by little children; contrarian discussions and writings; partial or full withdrawal of services; insurrections and public protests; overthrow of governments through the ballot boxes, demonstrations, military coups, etc. Strikes as the means of addressing shortcomings and injustices do occur everywhere in the world, and Nigeria is no exception.
The
nine-month-long – February to October 2022 – strike by the Academic Staff Union
of Universities in Nigeria (ASUU) has taken the cake in the recurring decimal
of strikes in Nigerian universities. Most Nigerians, especially members of
ASUU, believe that these strikes are totally avoidable and, even where started,
could be nipped in the bud by government’s quick intervention.
Sadly, it has always been alleged that the selfishness and short-sightedness of bureaucrats such as Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Director-Generals, Directors and other members in the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) relish in ensuring the prolonging of such discussions due to selfish and unpatriotic reasons.
