By Karry Osa Okuns
For some months now undergraduates in scores of tertiary institutions littering the lenght and breadth of Nigeria have been roaming the streets, no thanks to the face off between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU).
The details of what has prolonged the strike to this ridiculous level is undeserving of analysis, as it epitomizes the insincerity on the part of the Nigerian government to honour any agreement it has signed with the striking university teachers, whose contributions to national development cannot be quantified in monetary terms.
What appears intriguing in the unfolding lock jam is the seeming hard stance of the education minister, who sadly as a former university teacher ought to understand better the challenges of the egg heads in the ivory tower, as well as the desire to put education in Nigeria on the path of growth and sustainable development.
With months running out, with no hope in sight of how the issue will be resolved, the seeming arrogance of the education minister, Dr Sam Egwu, of not shifting grounds on this issue lives very much to be desired.
Only last week, president Umaru Yar Adua, the challenged Nigerian leader jetted out for an official visit to Saudi Arabia, where understandably, he went to commission a university of technoly, whereas at home university teachers and undergraduates are roaming the streets with no hope in sight of when the impasse will be ultimately resolved.
It is not laughable, that when there is trouble with the educational system in the country, the president, who seem to have lost the compass of leadership in Nigeria's myriad of socio-economic, cum political problems.
As many Nigerians have queried: Is Yar Adua, the leader we need, or shall Nigerians wait for another? This query that has fast graduated into a puzzle seem to have deepened the mystery in rationale thought as hawks around the presidency work round the clock to ensure a hitch free re- election for the embattled president in the much anticipated 2011, even when the president has grossly fallen short of delivering his much touted seven - point agenda, or as many observers will not no agenda at all.
In the face of failure to delivery uninterrupted power supply, spiraling inflation gaps in police implementation, unemployment, lopsided practice of federalism, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), may have missed the point , with no concrete evidence to demonstrate the robust dividends of democracy to Nigerians.
The failure to bring about a transparent electoral process, and the ominous return to a one party state, no thanks to the cross carpeting of politicians to the ruling party, there may be no hope in the horizon for Nigeria for complacency has become a way of life. As the nation next week celebrates 49 years of nationhood, what can Nigerians boast of as an independent nation.
Is it a robust democracy or mere civil rule? Is it prolonged ASUU strike, unemployment or failure to meet the aspirations and yearnings of the people, the road ahead appears tortuous. It is time government resolved the lingering ASUU strike, such that both the lecturers and students can go back to the class rooms and lecture rooms.
Where is social contract with Nigerians if government fall short in delivering the real essence of representative democracy? The time to resolved these lingering is now or never, else we are all navigating in a rudderless ship of state that is bound to shipwreck someday.
The essence of government is about the people. Stop ASUU strike now.
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