ASUU Strike And The Glimmer Of Hope By Khadeejah Ahmad

I gained admission late in 2019 and sadly, I had to wait for another seven months or thereabout before I resumed officially as a student.  I had sought admission for three years before I finally got my desired course. In fact, I had started another course in another University. 

Meanwhile, it’s almost certain that I will spend extra years not because of failure but because of the unevenly distributed academic year and ASUU strike.

 2020 began with a glimmer of hope and I earnestly looked forward to May,2020, being the time I was supposed to resume to my new institution as a medical student. 

As the month of March approached and news of COVID’19 reaching Nigeria erupted, I knew I was in for this! Anyway, lockdown started just a week after ASUU strike started. Private schools and schools abroad took their classes online while Federal institution students were left to themselves because of our failed online usage system.

September approached and hopes were high again. Workplaces, primary and secondary schools, Polytechnics and private universities resumed, while Public universities failed to resume because of the ongoing strike. 

I am startled as to why ASUU failed to address the problem during the long break or why the federal government did not deem it fit to attend to ASUU’s needs. ASUU, since it’s inception has been known for always having issues with the federal government and I’m not sure the FG has a permanent solution. That’s why the cycle of ASUU strike keeps repeating itself and affecting  academic years. We find that a 6-year course is studied for 8 years, a 5-year course for 6 years and so on.  

Truly, we all have our share in the fitnah and that’s why the protest erupted to stop brutality of the youths by the police(a tinge of our problem).I thought it is said that police is your friend, it’s the direct opposite here. Here is another branch of corruption where Security officials who are meant to be in charge of our welfare and protect us from danger are the ones endangering us. In order for we ‘endangered species’ not to go into extinction, we decided to protest and demand our right to survive. It was a success in the beginning but our success was cut short when thugs infiltrated the peaceful protesters and violence set in.  

The glimmer of hope that sprouted in the heart of Nigerians died, and our moment of perceived victory was short-lived. We later got to realize that a lot of people were withholding themselves because they’re not in power and that Nigerians don’t detest corruption but detest not being beneficiaries of it.  

But who or what caused all these? Who caused us so much pain? Who caused us to bleed from a deep cut that corruption has caused?

Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala said:

ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِى الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِى النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِى عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

“Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].”

(QS. Ar-Room 30: Verse 41)

Corruption has spread in the land and sea, from the result of the handiwork of men.

The moment you discover that people deeply impoverished by the corrupt society, the middle and the lower class are also willing to be corrupt when they get the power to direct things, that is when you realize that corruption is deeply ingrained in almost each and every individual. A combination of millions of corrupt individuals manifests into a corrupt society. 

Hardly will you see any system, level or grade of human activity that has not been affected by corruption and this is as a result of our handiwork.

Starting from the greatest form of corruption which is disbelieving in Allah to what you might call the slightest of it. 

Greediness which is the root of all evil is that which derails mankind into satisfying himself even at the expense of others, and disbelieve in Allah or insufficient believe in Allah leaves little or no guilty conscience of his evil deeds in his heart. Sincere believe in the Supreme being comes with compassion and kindness to other creation and this is all we need. Believing that none has the capability to bring solutions to our problematic Nigeria except Him, that no BUHARI nor ATIKU will bring the good Nigeria back except we put our total trust in HIM and take the right steps. In 2015, we all so much believed that if BUHARI became the president, all Nigeria’s problems will disappear into thin air. But, here we are!  

Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala said:

…. ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتّٰى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ  ۗ وَإِذَآ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوٓءًا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُۥ  ۚ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِّنْ دُونِهِۦ مِنْ وَالٍ

…Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron.”

(QS. Ar-Ra’d 13: Verse 11)

Allah will not change your condition except you change that which is within yourselves. Look within yourselves, does the corruption not start with you? How well do you behave to your younger ones? How well do your treat your subordinate when you’re in power? No power is small, even as a class representative, how well do your perform your duties?

Ask yourself these question and be sincere with your answers. Assess yourself and know that the change starts with you! Someone questioned me as to how she as an individual is capable of changing the whole Nigeria, I gave my reply that even the slightest impact you make on someone is a contribution to changing the whole nation.The change of the whole nation will not happen instantly, a changed individual will bring forth a changed family and by and large a changed nation!

You can do well to yourself by running away from the country, but not everyone is capable of doing that. Perhaps, Allah is going to question what contribution you made to Nigeria’s Progress.

Wamaa Tawfeequna illa BILLAH

And none is capable of granting us success besides ALLAH!

That should be our watchword!

By Khadeejah Ahmad