God abeg o!
Apparently, the six month inactivity from ASUU is only a rehearsal and not a strike–the real strike just began. We are reserving our comments about the two elephants that are fighting (federal government & ASUU) and are focusing on the students who are the grass and are suffering the most.
Four students share their ASUU strike experiences:
Mariam*, 25
When it first started, I thought it would just be like 3 weeks. It was Valentine’s period now, so my boyfriend and I thought we could bond over the extra time. When three weeks stretched into six weeks with confirm hunger, we knew we couldn’t stay in school any longer.
As we speak, I have been sent to babysit for more than five of my relatives. I should have just gone to a poly, mehn.
Hilda*, 22
I like to call it an extended holiday because it has done me a lot of good. In fact, I only feel salty because I don’t get as much pocket money as before and because my counterparts in private universities are feeling fly. Besides that, it has been good, like I earlier said.
I learned coding online and I now take my fitfam seriously–none of which would have been possible with piles of school work that do not lead anywhere.
Dami, 27
We already know the drill–once ASUU strikes, we find jobs to do to support our parents. It’s kind of a relief for them sef because before we pay tuition, the while house has to go on a hunger strike.
Earlier this year, however, at the steel company my brother and I were working; a hot metal slab stabbed this man’s stomach and he died on the spot. It could have been anyone of us.
That was the end of our job there because my parents couldn’t even get over how close they were to losing any one of us. School we are not going, money we are not making. What a life!
Rina*, 22
I know my village people are to be blamed mostly but ASUU too are demons to have cooperated this far.
I got admitted into the University of Ibadan (UI) and was elated only for ASUU to strike for about ten months or so. To add salt to injury, UI canceled that academic year. They said the strike had scattered their calendar and I was back to square 1- glorified fresher, live in house girl.
UI resumed earlier this year and then this demonic ASUU decided to strike again. I have given up on school sha. I get the memo.
#PeopleTalk is a submissions segment for everyday people to talk straight about the twists and turns of everyday life. This edition tells the stories of four Nigerian students and how life has been for them with the ASUU strike.
