Following a court order directing the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off its protracted strike action, Nigerians have expressed their views about the order.
Mixed reactions have trailed the development on different social media platforms. While some regard it as a welcomed decision to force lecturers back to the classrooms, there are also concerns about lectures not being effectively delivered, considering that they are yet to reach a conclusion with the federal government.
Similarly, social media users opined that the tussle between the federal government and ASUU, which has been on for over 7 months, should continue in court and not be allowed to disrupt academic activities of students.
What they are saying
Some reactions on Twitter are as follows:
@OladepoLawal noted, “On behalf of over 3 million Nigerian students, I am pleading that the FG pays ASUU, I can’t have my exams marked by someone who has not received 7months salary o.”
On behalf of over 3 million Nigeria Student, I am pleading that FG should please pay ASUU, I can’t have my exams marked by someone who has not received 7month salary o. #Asuu https://t.co/gojfqUkUfH
— Paajay (@OladepoLawal) September 21, 2022
@_oluwaseun9 wrote, “Thank God ASUU rejected the court order to resume, e no go funny if lecturer wey dem never pay for 7 months mark your exam.”
Thank God ASUU reject court order to resume, e no go funny if lecturer wey dem never pay for 7 months mark ur exam 😩😭
— SEUN💫 (@_oluwaseun9) September 21, 2022
@ImportedAlhaji said, “ASUU please no resume o. I can’t let one lecturer be venting his anger on me by asking me to solve Nigeria’s problems during exam cos he never collect salary o. Wallahi I go fail woefully”
Asuu please no resume o.🙏
I can’t let one lecturer be venting his anger on me by asking me to solve Nigeria’s problems during exam cos he never collect salary o.. Wallahi I go fail woefully😹😹
— MATHEW LOUIS DEVELOPER (@Mathew_dev1) September 21, 2022
@isaac__richi noted, “Nigerian students will not go back to class unless FG settle ASUU. no be una go write exam of lecturer wey dem never pay 7month salary.”
Nigerian students will not go back to class unless FG settle ASUU.. no be una go write exam of lecturer wey dem never pay 7month salary
— d_engineer (@isaac__richi) September 21, 2022
Also, the issue has attracted opinions from other social media platforms:
- @Jflex07 said, “Is it the court that will pay ASUU members the outstanding 7 months’ salary? I’m sure this is a judgement passed by the industrial court, which I know will be appealed by ASUU..Does a government that does not obey court order expect ASUU to obey the same court order? Time shall tell! ASUU can also decide to honor the court judgement for 24hrs, then go on strike again the next day. They can’t be wiser.
- “Do you think the lecturers will lecture properly? On a normal day, these lecturers show a nonchalant attitude towards the teaching of the students, now you are using the court to force them to go to classes. My take is that dialogue is still the best way of solving issues like this because sooner or later ASUU will still go on strike again, in other words, the strike continues.”
- @Ebubu said, “Contempt of court order attracts fines and jail terms. ASUU shouldn’t copy the government in disobeying court orders, it attracts grievous fines. Government can only do it because they are government. It is like parable of rat and lizard swimming, rat comes out soaked, lizard comes out dry. ASUU will regret it.”
- @HolyPuss said, “We all knew it would come to this. Now, ASUU will have no other choice than to resume or be found guilty of disobeying court order. At the end of the day, ASUU will visit their anger on the students.”
- @Seunmsg said, “The right thing is for ASUU to immediately comply with the judgement of the court while still appealing the ruling. Continuing with the strike in disobedience to a valid court judgement is illegal and condemnable. They must call off the strike immediately in compliance with the judgement in the overall interest of Nigeria.
- @Budaatum said, “Ordering lecturers to teach you while they are unhappy guarantees they’ll teach you nonsense, which I think is no good for you. But if you think forcing me to teach you means I will, well I guess you’d be happy with whatever nonsense I teach you, because you cannot force me to teach you what’s in my head if I don’t want to!”
- @Johnycastro said, “The students have been at home for the past 7months now and have felt the pain caused by the strike severely.
- “If at this stage the court decides to be lenient to the cause of the student by ordering for “temporal” suspension of the strike pending when the final case or judgment is delivered, then I think it is fair. ASUU should fight with the government at the courts, I believed they can still win the case at the end. The students should not always be the ones to suffer in their fights for once at least.”
Trade union lecturers. No nation’s lecturers have gone on strike as many times as ASUU. Get rid of this collective bargaining nonsense and employ and pay each lecturer according to his/her individual qualifications and the resources of the universities. Many Nigerian lecturers are not even worth their present remuneration, and you cannot pay lecturers US or UK salaries when your students are paying Afghanistan fees.