This is my entry for day 7 of the inleo initiative which focuses on protests and strikes that affected me in the past. It has almost become like a culture in my dear country for several years now in higher institution for different kinds of protests and strikes occurs uncontrollable.
One of the things that retard and causes academic havoc is strike and protest. The more they occurred the more the resultant effect is enormous. I started hearing about strike right from when I was in primary school then in early 1990s though it wasn't as rampant as it is today. I could remember then though I couldn't lay good grip of the meaning however I noticed that all our teachers and other government staff went on strike. They could not come to work for a period of some days that the federal government didn't meet up their demands.
As I kept advancing and increasing too in my knowledge, I got to realised that strikes occurs when a particular need is not made. They carry out such activities in order to gain the attention of necessary body for intervention. Sometimes what causes this strike include lack of increase in salary which makes the labour Congress to take proactive measures to ensure quick response for their demands. While sometimes the welfare package is not good enough. At times lack of good facility provision or when the government failed to fulfill their promises.
I have never been affected directly by protest however I would like to share what happened to one of the higher institutions in my area. For a couple of days there was no water and light supply to the hostels and entire University community. This made the students to go on rampage which caused destruction of properties in the school. Consequently some students died in the process. It was indeed a sad situation because the students almost exchange fire with the security operatives. Immediately the governor ordered for the closure of the school indefinitely. After due consultation, it was later lifted and students resumed. Protest normally affect greatly academic atmosphere of any institution.
One of the shocking strikes I have ever experienced was when I was in two hundred level. Hmmmm there was a nation wide strike even though my school never wanted to join but the pressure was just too much. Finally she compromised and join them. It was almost complete session that we stayed at home. The strike action lasted for over eight months. This even made me to look for a job in a school and teach for that period. I almost regretted going to school that time. My course of study ought to be maximum four years but it turned out to be a five year plus course.
What was the reason behind the strike? That most tertiary institutions don't have good equipment for learning and teaching. The ones they have is even out of date therefore there's need to equip the universities again. This strike affected me badly because a year has been added to the initial date of graduation. My mates that flew abroad went and finished within the time frame and left some of us in the hands of the government that doesn't care so much.
It's had in Nigeria to go through government institutions without going on strike. Even this year, there was strike. My friend that went for medicine and surgery instead of 6-7 years ended up graduating in 9years. Most of us have been affected both directly and indirectly but thank God we are pushing to where we ought to be.
