Growing up, I heard lots of stories, jokes and narrations from university students in my church, including from my sisters. The strike was a normal thing for universities. Most of the causes for those strikes and protests were either government refused to pay lecturers, hike in school fee or unfair treatment of students by lecturer.
One really bad effect of the strike was that it's a time waster; student's graduation, exams and lectures will be on hold till the strike is resolved. My sisters also told me about the strikes they had when they were students, they'd sit at home for months. Two years before their time, there was a strike that lasted for a year (but it varied from one university to another)
I experienced the first strike in my second year in the university. We heard the news of the strike but my set and the set before us (first year students) didn't believe it. Finally, a association of universities in Nigeria, popularly known as ASUU announced the strike; it was indefinite but we thought it wouldn't last more a month. We were wrong!. This strike lasted about 8 months. Like straight eight months!. We lost all hope 3 months into the strike. The cause of the strike was refusal of the government to pay up university lecturers, owing them close to 5 months salary. That was crazy.
The duration of that strike was enough to cover up a whole academic session. It happened year 2022 February till second week of September. Now you would agree with me that strikes like that are time waster. I should be in my final yesr if that strike hadn't happened.
It is worrisome that most of the strikes in my country are caused by the government, they are always neglecting payment of some work forces. If it's not universities, it would be National Labour or Health workers strike (there should be no reason for health institutions to go on any strike). These strike usually start with peaceful protests, then turned to strike if the voice of the protesters are not hearkened to.
The last protest happened just last month here in my school. A student died in the school health center because the nurses/doctors refused to attend to the him just because he was not with his green card. The green card is a pass every student must take to the university health center to receive treatment. But this late boy case was different, it was an emergency (heard that he was asmathic), of course the only thing those around him thouhgt of was just rushing him down to the university health center to safe his life. None of them remembered to take the green card along.
They rushed him to the health center but the health workers refused to attend to the patience that was brought in simply because there was no green card. Isn't the life of student meant to be most important ? Why not attend to him then tell thise who brought him to go get his green card ?. Guess what..... that was not the first such incident would happen in my school. The most annoying, though expected thing was that the school authorities lied to the media, they manipulated the story like they did the previous times and fed the masses with the wring news. Student could only do their best by protesting against such evil act but I hope our voices will be heard someday and very soon.
The rule about the green card is too strict, lives are more important than mere paper with my info about the students. I hope they change it before more incidents like the last time happen.
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