Aside from the pandemic that has disrupted academic activity around the world, the school session in Nigeria has been at a standstill for the past 126 days, following a litany of Federal government and ASUU stiff-necked refusals to shift ground.
All Campus Show, who from the unset have been following the saga, has again interviewed ASUU Chairman Professor Emmanuel Osodeke to understand the bickering and the progress made thus far with their ongoing meeting with Prof. Briggs's Committee.
In his comment, here's what he had to say,
"We want to hear from the government since they don't have the final say." We saw some optimism the last time we had this meeting in May 2021, but nothing happened. This one appears to be following the same pattern."
In his message for students' who have been in the crux of the lions’ fight and have continued in a resilience fight for their future, he had this to say.
“The students should know that the struggle is for the future of the Nigerian education system and they are the ones fighting for their future. If universities change and foreign lecturers start coming into Nigeria just the same way Nigeria lecturers travel abroad, they will be proud."
When asked how the members of ASUU and their families are surviving, he said,
"For four months we haven’t been paid." Our families are suffering, but we are on this because what we are doing is for the future of Nigeria's education system.”
"You see, until you run into a situation like this, you won’t believe you will survive, and the government thinks at this point we will come begging and kneeling at them to say please we will call off the strike, but that will not work. If they want to continue with the strike for one year, we are ready. Our people will not die. "
Lastly, commenting on the directives given by the Edo state government to resume academic activities in Ambrose Alli University, he had this to say.
"Well, the state is not knowledgeable in taking that decision because it is beyond their proxy and they do not have the right. We have actually gone to court to challenge that directive, so what they are doing is futile. "
He added that, "When Ambrose Alli established that university, it was one of the best universities in the whole world. We had lecturers and students from all over the world come to attend that school. Some of the biggest names you have in this country today are products of Ambrose Alli University. Tony Elemule and Pastor Chris Oyakilome are examples of graduates from this very university set up by Ambrose Alli. "
"I started from there, but today a governor has come in who has no idea what a university is and he is trying to kill it."
"It is so unfortunate and we pray that our struggle and effort wouldn’t go to waste. Edo people shouldn’t allow this type of a governor who is running from one party to another just to get political position destroy that University." He said.