NDU Students Lament on the ongoing strike action

AdChoices Ad covers the page Stop seeing this ad Simon Utebor For the students of the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa State, the ongoing industrial action has dealt a devastating blow to their academic pursuit. The ongoing scenario in the university exemplifies the saying, “When two elephants fight, the grass suffers.” The President, Faculty of Engineering Students, Baro Tamarakro, aptly captured the development. He said the consequences of the strike, which began six weeks ago, were better imagined than felt. AdChoices Ad covers the page Stop seeing this ad Lamenting that the strike had begun to distort their academic activities, Tamarako said the fate of final year students in the institution was now uncertain. He said, “Honestly, the impact of the strike on students has been negative. The industrial action has made some of us to venture into counterproductive things. As I speak, some of our female students have turned prostitution to ward off boredom. “I wish to use this medium to appeal to Governor Seriake Dickson, who is the Visitor to the school, to address the lecturers’ grievances to enable us to return to school. “The governor should call the lecturers to a roundtable for a settlement of the impasse. We are beginning to lose our temper and this is not good for the image of the state.” The Deputy Speaker, Student Union Government Parliament, Mr. Olale Gift, also said the backwardness of state educationally alongside the strike was worsening the plight of the students. According to him, the strike has the tendency of leading some undergraduates into some vices such as prostitution, pipeline vandalism, and oil bunkering. He said, “An idle hand, they say, is the devil’s workshop. This is the only university owned by the state. Already, we are educationally backward. Allowing the strike does not speak well of the state government. I feel there is no reason why the lecturers should not receive their salaries. Although there is economic recession, there is need to resolve this crisis urgently. “The government still shares a large chunk of the blame. Dialogue in this kind of situation is necessary but allowing the lecturers to shoot like loose cannon is unfortunate.” Gift, who said they had met and discussed with government representatives, warned that their quietness should not be mistaken for docility. He added, “We believe in consultation but if it fails, we might resort to confrontation. We are appealing to the government to show understanding so that the situation does not snowball into an unwarranted catastrophe.” For a 200 level student, Daniel Adodo, some students have now resorted to doing menial jobs to overcome idleness. According to him, strike affects the performances of students. The students, under the aegis of the Niger Delta Visionary Movement, had earlier vowed to protest and block the entrance to the Government House if the authorities failed to resolve the impasse. The aggrieved students, in a statement by their spokesman, Wisdom Adike, threatened, “We are prepared to march naked with our books and block the entrance to the Government House if after a week academic activities do not resume in the school. “We wish to bring to the notice of the public that the strike embarked upon by the ASUU, NDU chapter, on April 26, 2016, over non-payment of salaries, have led to the shutdown of the institution for some time now. “This development has continued to give parents and students great concern. Niger Delta University, being the only state-owned university, is a legacy established by the late Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. The institution has not only helped in meeting the manpower needs of the state but also that of the Niger Delta and beyond.” The lecturers of the institution, under the auspices of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, commenced strike last April over unpaid salaries and alleged poor working conditions. According to them, they have not received salaries since the beginning of this year. An NDU lecturer and Chairman, ASUU, Port Harcourt Zone, Prof. Beke Sese, said the decision to proceed on strike was taken when the state government allegedly ignored all the entreaties of the union.