COVID-19: Shame On ASUU! By Favour Amako

How can a union that is made up of intellectuals, Professors, PhD Holders, Scientists, Researchers, inventors go on indefinite strike in the facing of a disease ravaging the whole earth? I thought ASUU could have added a human face in their struggle.

If I may ask, what has ASUU contributed to stem the covid-19 pandemic which has risen to 81 in Nigeria and still counting?

The Nigerian government has approved a 10 billion Naira grant (about $27 million) to fight the spread of coronavirus, or COVID-19, in the country.

President Muhammadu Buhari is also releasing a 5 billion Naira (about $13 million) special intervention fund to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC.

Wealthy Nigerians and organizations, including banks, have also donated billions of Naira to help fund medical centers and provide essential materials necessary to curtail the spread of coronavirus in the country.

The United Bank for Africa, UBA, announced Thursday a donation of 5 billion Naira (about $13 million) to provide beds for isolation centers, intensive care unit facilities and direct access to medical advice to up to 450,000 citizens every day.

Wealthy members of the private sector including Femi Otedola, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Herbert Wigwe, Segun Agbaje and Aliko Dangote, Africa’s Richest man, all contributed 1 billion Naira (about $2.7 million) each to support the government in curtailing the pandemic in Nigeria.

It is a shame that that the only thing that ASUU thought of contributing is to announce an indefinite strike in the midst of global crisis. My problem with the whole strike is the timing. The Federal Government has its hands full and ASUU will be the least of its concern now.

Going on strike at a time like this when our world is changing in such a way that none of us knows the outcome is the height of irresponsibility. ASUU has Scientists in its midst, who should be busy in their Laboratories helping the world to defeat this virus, but all it thought of doing is to announce a strike at a time when we are not sure that Nigeria will be able to meet its financial obligations if this pandemic continues to rubbish the price of our Almighty black gold.