Ebonyi lecturers, students express joy over strike suspension

Lecturers and students in Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, have expressed joy over the suspension of the eight months old strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

ASUU  had embarked on industrial action over the Federal Government’s refusal to and delay in implementing its agreement with the union.

In separate interviews with NAN on Friday, some of the lecturers commended the union’s move to end the strike.

A lecturer in the Department of Language and Linguistics, Chioma Ogbu, said she was happy over the suspension.

Ogbu said: “I thank God, the strike is over, though it has done more harm to the system, including the curriculum.

“There is need for peace and dialogue over issues between persons, government and the general public. The nation’s education has been moving backward due to poor funding.

“Why should private Universities stand as best than the schools owned by the government? Eight months strike and yet to fill promises to the lectures? This is a worrisome issue to every well-meaning Nigerian.

READ ALSO: Police arrest woman for stabbing boyfriend to death

“Lecturers, everywhere in the world are fed well. There is much need to improve the nation’s universities. Our school can do better than schools you see outside (foreign).”

A student, Kenneth Ano, commended ASUU on the suspension and described it as “relief” to him and other students.

Ano, a 400-level student, said the strike was as bad as “disease” and urged the state and federal governments to always listen to the demands of the lecturers.

“Look at the rate of crime in society. This is because many students have joined criminal gangs and groups in order to survive.

“The criminality has been on the increase since the strike. You want to talk about the girl folks, many are now caring babies and there are cases of unwanted pregnancy.

“To me, I am not happy the way the strike was extended; I urge governments at all levels to pay attention to education and on demands of the lecturers to move the nation’s universities forward,” Ano added.

Some parents described the strike period as unpleasant experience that could be avoided.

Mr Willson Okereke, a civil Servant, urged the Federal Government to make the educational system a major priority, adding that education is very significant to manpower development.

“I am happy with the development but I want the Federal Government to always put mechanism in place to solve issues before they get out of hand,” Okereke said.

Another parent, Greg Ejike, enjoined government to bring a permanent solution to its education development.

The Star