By ABDULRAUF Abdullahi Adebayo
The beautiful old days are gone when a young child of a commoner can confidently calculate and correctly predict when he is going to become a graduate. It is pathetic that the young kids of the commoners are not so much in such luck nowadays.
They are left with the ugly institution management that turns their Four years into “For years”, their Five years to “Fine years” and Six academic years to “Still years” respectively in Nigerian government-owned tertiary institutions.
My greatest sympathy goes to those Law Students, Medical Students and others whose academic years are five years or more.
The glorified song of ASUU Strike has even become a cliché, so a commoner’s kid that is still in the basic school knows it and what it looks like because almost all his siblings that are in higher institution will be at home during the strike.
He has also heard his siblings lamenting on the status quo several times; he himself has prepared his mind to face the same challenge when time comes; he dares not predict when he will become a graduate as his elder sibling used to do.
Every person affirms the definition of Democracy as opined by Abraham Lincoln as Government of the people by the people and for the people.
It seems the case of Nigerian democracy is partitioned by social stratification; the rich class and the commoners. This is a case where the commoners are not only neglected, they are being marginalised.
Upon the fundamental objective enshrined by Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended) which vested the duty to eradicate illiteracy in the Country known as Nigeria, it is a known fact that the government has been negligent in achieving this constitutionally stated objective, so to say.
The government has successfully turned from that of the people to government of the rich because only ones that are from rich family can smoothly enjoy their right to Education in Nigeria as the current circumstance reveals, they only can afford to attend non-governmental but highly exorbitant schools, where they will not be ASUU strike or disturbed academic calendar. The children of the commoners are not guilty of any action or omission, their only offence is that, they are Nigerians.
Apparently, stating the good things ASUU strike action has brought to the children of the Commoners will be akin to being foolish by half, it is a fraudulent way of justifying the strike action, talking about the promising undergraduates that are supposed to be in the four walls of their classrooms, being effectively trained in their various faculties in ways that will make them useful to themselves, their communities and the world at large who are being deprived of the pleasure adequate knowledge are sent back to their various houses to be at the mercy of idleness.
Many brilliant minds have extinguished their desire to become great.
How many undergraduates have become internet fraudsters within the short time of the strike action? How many have conceived “unwanted pregnancy” or even turned to object of sex?
Again, how many have given up the struggle to consider dropping out of school with the disgusting phrase “School na scam” in their minds? We must encourage the ones that utilise the period of strike action to acquire a beneficial skill in order to keep them busy and useful. It is a sign of seriousness, nevertheless, the government has forced him to do what is good, but at a wrong time.
Time is money that wise men spend wisely, government in Nigeria has overturned the axiom. Indeed, to Nigerian government, time is nothing that has value and thus should be spent lavishly.
Meanwhile, time waits for nobody. Young energetic undergraduate can no more hope to become a graduate at a young age anymore due to misconduct of the government.
Thousands of penultimate Law Students will not make it to Nigerian Law School this year 2022, Final year medical students are waiting for messiah to rescue them to the promised land their dear chosen profession, brilliant minds of other various field of study are being dishonestly prevented from graduation due to strike action. What a waste of time and human resources!
The crux is that, these students whose bright future are being compromised will soon be deployed as political thugs for campaign. Some will even be hired to fight intellectually to present politicians as good products to the lukewarm voters with their brilliance.
Meanwhile, little record of smooth political campaign has ever been recorded in Nigeria, it is teary that our promising undergraduate students are likely to be in danger of harm by the opposition party, an event that can never occur when they are properly managed by the government while they are busy with their studies at school.
Indeed, the time of the children of the commoners are being ironically spent wisely with the aid of industrial action.
Conclusion
Right to Education is a right that every Nigerian citizen tends to enjoy. It is so serious that it is written in the constitution of Nigeria.
Pathetic enough, the Right to Education which is Section 18 of Chapter 2 of the Constitution was not included in the Fundamental Rights of the citizens (Chapter four of the Constitution) which is not justiciable in the context of the constitution.
It is only a form of Fundamental Objective and directive principle of the government.
However, the constitution does not give any legal right to any individual concerning Fundamental Objective and directive principle which may allow the Judicial arm of the government to grant redress on behalf of Nigerian students.
This is a core factor that is hindering effective administration of Education in Nigeria.
ABDULRAUF Abdullahi Adebayo is a Law Student, a teacher and a Writer. He can be reached via 09033904883 and abdulraufabdullahia@gmail.com