By Onono Onimisi
Each time the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declares a strike, the reactions are almost predictable. Students groan, parents complain, and the larger public sighs, “ASUU again?” But before we join the chorus of frustration, perhaps it’s time to ask a deeper question who is really to blame?
Any student who stands against ASUU should, for a moment, try teaching for free. Two weeks in a classroom unpaid, under-resourced, and largely unappreciated will open your eyes to the realities our lecturers face daily. Maybe then, you’ll understand that ASUU’s struggle isn’t about selfishness or disruption; it’s about dignity and justice.
Let’s be honest, the true culprits here are not the lecturers but the government the same system that underfunds education, delays salaries, and pays lip service to reform. Our lecturers are not the enemies. They are the ones who mark your scripts late into the night, report to class even when their pockets are dry, and still try to inspire hope in a decaying system.
Imagine showing up every day to a job that barely sustains you, to classrooms with broken chairs and outdated materials, and to students who sometimes aren’t even prepared. Yet, society expects perfection from teachers who are, themselves, victims of a failed system.
ASUU’s fight has never been about comfort. It is a cry for respect, for better funding, and for a system that values education with the same urgency it gives to politics. It’s about ensuring that the next generation learns in an environment that rewards excellence, not endurance.
So, before you point fingers or dismiss their demands, take a moment to reflect. Spend just two weeks teaching without pay, without recognition, and without support. Only then will you understand the weight ASUU carries and why their fight is not just for themselves, but for the future of Nigerian education.
In the end, the question isn’t “Why is ASUU always fighting?”
The real question is, “Why does the government always give them a reason to?”
Onono writes from Prestigious Bayero University Kano and can be reached via onimisionono54@gmail.com
