UNIUYO students happy to return to campus after 8 months

Students of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) have expressed happiness as they return to campus after eight months strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Speaking to our reporter on Monday in Uyo, a 300-level student of the Department of Mass Communication, Miss Oluchi Agu, said she was glad to return to school.

“I am glad about the resumption. This strike has taken us backward. I would have graduated by now and doing my national service.

“Most of my mates who attended private universities have already graduated.

“The strike was merely suspended and not called off. I would like to plead with the Federal Government to look into all the demands of ASUU and meet them for peace to reign,

“I will also urge ASUU to the understand the Federal Government`s position in order to avoid another face-off,” Agu said.

Also speaking, Mr Edidiong Isaac, a 200-level student of the Department of Industrial Technology, said he was also glad about the suspended strike.

Isaac said he anticipated that their lecturers were going rush through the courses in order to meet up, noting that the students were going to bear the brunt.

“The government should do something about the strike to avoid its reoccurrence. They should put up a lasting solution to it,” Isaac said.

Mr Jeremiah Matthew, a 100-level student of the Department of Architecture, said he was very happy to resume his studies.

“My advice for the ASUU and the Federal Government is that they should come to a final agreement. Students are destabilised each time there is lecturers strike, he said.

A former ASUU Chairman in the university, Dr Aniekan Brown, said the strike would not have lasted that long if the government had done the needful.

“We must, however, acknowledge the zeal of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, in his mediation effort.

Brown said the non-payment of the lecturers’ salaries was bound to affect their morale.

“We are academics, we are committed to doing our work the best way we can.

“The government should learn to be more trustworthy and reasonable and should place education on the priority list,” he advised.