Some students have appealed to the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resolve their differences, suggesting the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to fund the university system.

The students, who recounted losses caused by the six months strike by ASUU, expressed concern over the situation, saying the long stay at home has inflicted permanent injury on them and damage to the education system.

They made the appeal in separate interviews with NAN in Abuja on Monday.

A clinical student of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja), Philemon Kojo, said ASUU strike had become regular occurrence for many years for public university with prolonged academic years as the obvious effect.

Kojo suggested that for the issue to be resolved, ASUU and the education ministry should engage global monetary agencies to access funding or better still, the education sector should be privatised for proper management.

“The education sector should research into solutions that can lead us from a customer economy to productive economy, for example, vaccine and drug production, electronics and even energy generation.”

According to her, universities should begin to seek grants from both private sector and international grants to assist in funding these universities.

“The ASUU strike has been tormenting me mentally and emotionally, especially as I see my counterparts in private institutions graduating and progressing with their lives.

“As a clinical year student, all my past efforts in clinical postings are thrown away because I have to repeat them on resumption.

READ ALSO: Strike: Scores of lecturers leaving Nigerian varsities ― ASUU

“Imagine four months posting done prior to a six-month strike after which I have to repeat that same posting. It’s mentally depressing.

“Do I have to speak on the financial implications such as hostel rents wasted, traveling, foodstuffs thrown away, and last but not the least, the time that can never be gotten back, especially in Nigeria where there are age limits to getting jobs.

“This is my 7th year in the university, for a six-year course but I’m just starting 500 level,” she said.

Another student of UniAbuja, Nwachukwu Cletus, said there was need for good leadership “when the head is good every other part of the body will be alright, government should appoint leaders who will prioritise education and are well knowledgeable on how educational system should be managed.

Cletus also suggested that there should be optimal maximisation of production for universities as they must begin to look inward to maximise every factor of production at their disposal to contribute to their purse.

“Many universities have abundance and unutilised land which could be used for agricultural purposes, schools can go into food production like bread, snacks and sachet water which will contribute to their economy.

“Every nation doing well today invested heavily in their educational sector and any nation with good future is seen in how much they prioritise their educational system,” Cletus said.

On his part, a 300-level Biology Education student of UniAbuja, Joseph Baker, said the effect of the strike was overwhelming as it had delayed his anticipated plans.

Baker also suggested that government should consider PPP arrangements to fund education.

According to him, government alone cannot fund education; it has to seek the support of other bodies and international funding.

READ ALSO: SSANU, NASU suspend strike

He, therefore, said ASUU and the Federal Government should come to a sincere understanding and compromise for the sake of the future of the students and the country in general.

Baker, while calling on ASUU to reconsider its position, appealed to the Federal Government to pay ASUU an encouraging salary to maximise the impact of the education system for a better Nigeria.

On the strike, he said: “It has been delaying our educational lives, thereby, prolonging the accurate duration we are supposed to spend in our education.

“Most of our mates in private universities have gone farther than us who attend Federal universities just because of the ongoing strike.

“Also because of the prolonged sitting at home with our parents, sincerely most of us have been having one issue or the other with them.

“Some of us pick offense when being corrected by our parents due to frustration,” Baker said.

A 400-level Linguistic student of Benue State University, Eneh Edoh, said the strike has done more harm than good to students.

“The strike has prolonged my stay in school. I should be a graduate by now thinking of serving and getting a job for myself.

“As a result of this strike, I am at home, an adage says, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Many young people have ventured into illicit acts, stealing, internet fraud, and all sorts because of the idleness the strike has caused.

“Our house rents have expired and some will soon expire. The more we stay at home the more our brains are redundant.

“Some of us have planned our lives but the strike is taking us back. Something has to be done, the plans we have for our lives are at stake,” Edoh said.

Another 400-level student, Ann Oriba, while speaking on the impact of the strike on education and students, said it has affected them negatively.

“Our educational calendar has been extended beyond its curriculum. Also, with a break in learning, it has made studying much harder for me,” she said.

The Star