It is good to always be reminded of the past so that we may be guided – now – if we so want. This advice appears to be currently condemned to the realm of ‘not-to-be-heeded’ by people in power, in Nigeria! As we said in an earlier piece, nothing will take us unaware, anymore, in this country! In fact, anything and everything is possible, and should be expected, in today’s Nigeria! So, we are not moved anymore! We have developed pretty thick skin! For instance, why should we be moved if, and when, supposed human and civil right ‘activists’ – now politicians – turn around (when in power) to insult the sensibility of members of the human right community they claimed to belong earlier? Maybe they were only ‘hustling’ during the period they professed to be ‘activists’. Scammers! Political ‘power’ can be powerfully risky! Hence, it should be approached warily because, using Farooq Kperogi’s neologism, it can cause “power-induced brain damage”. It does, unfortunately! This can be disappointing from ‘activists’ who, in the past, participated in street protests against oppression by people in power but are now oppressors themselves! Really, in the words of William Shakespeare (1563/1564?–1616), “…..there’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face…..” Nevertheless, Nigerians, beware! There are still many more wolves out there, lurking around, in sheep’s clothing! Painfully, we may only know what they truly stand for when they get to power! Afterwards, history keeps records for the people to learn lessons from – if they truly wish to! Let us quickly touch on the ongoing industrial dispute between Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and federal government. This dispute led to a strike action since 14 of February, 2022. After all manner of failed propaganda, and humiliating steps were taken, against ASUU members, government officials now resort to asking the public to “beg” ASUU! Not unexpected, these officials have generally trivialised serious issues in the media space! Whatever these are meant to achieve, surely they cannot give solution(s) to the issues leading to this strike action! Their outbursts have only worsened a terrible matter! Similarly, Festus Keyamo, the current Minister of State for Labour and Employment, also asked parents to “beg” ASUU (whatever that means) among other unsalutary comments and concluded his ranting by dismissing ASUU’s strike action as less important! That was on a live Channels Television’s programme ‘Politics Today’ on the 5 of August, 2022! It was an interesting outburst from a federal cabinet member whose words, in a video uploaded by Sahara TV on the 28 of August, 2013, we will now quote from. Listen to him: “…..it [strike by ASUU] continues to reoccur because from our time this ASUU problem becomes unending. You don’t listen to the teachers until they go on strike; and at the end of the day we hear things like the federal government is ordering them back to school.
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Are Nigerian academics still worthy of respect? | EduCeleb
2026-11-14 09:50:23 · Cedar Herald Index
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