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Christiana Pam, a lecturer on the College of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, tells DANIEL AYANTOYE how the continuing strike by the Tutorial Employees Union of Universities pushed her into buying and selling to cushion the financial affect of the commercial motion
For the way lengthy have you ever been a lecturer?
I studied Mass Communication on the College of Jos, Plateau State the place I had my first and second levels. I’m an assistant lecturer on the College of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. I’ve been lecturing for only a 12 months now earlier than the strike commenced in February and thus far my expertise has been a really nice one. It’s the job I’ve at all times needed to do. Like each different job, it’s whenever you enter into the sector that you simply realise some issues you weren’t conscious of earlier than. Typically, it’s not how we view issues from the surface, that it truly is inside. After I bought the job, I observed a number of the issues that I didn’t know after I was not lecturing however, typically, it has been a really nice expertise for me.
A social media put up claimed you went into promoting potatoes as a result of ASUU strike. Inform us how it began.
When the primary strike was declared, I had the idea that inside 4 weeks, it could be known as off and we’d resume. I used to be very hopeful and relaxed, ready for it to be known as off however after ASUU’s negotiations with the Federal Authorities, which didn’t finish nicely because the calls for of ASUU have been clearly not met, the strike was prolonged. That was when it dawned on me that I wanted to take a step as a result of, throughout the first section of the strike, I used to be already drained financially as I’m new to the system and had but to have the chance to save lots of extra money earlier than the strike. So I considered going dwelling to Plateau State. I used to be so financially down that I needed to borrow some cash to take myself to my mother and father.
My mother and father had at all times been farmers even earlier than their retirement, so after their retirement, they continued farming. After I bought again dwelling, I joined them on the farm with the hope that after two weeks, the strike can be known as off and I’d be again to work however in what appeared like a joke, I began with them by clearing the farm, planting and it bought to harvesting time and I used to be nonetheless at dwelling. So, I started to surprise what I might do to earn an revenue as I couldn’t ask my retired mother and father for cash as a result of they need to be those trying as much as me. So, I made a decision to promote a number of the potatoes we harvested from our farm and they’d be appreciated in Akwa Ibom. I needed to promote a few of them in Jos to boost cash to maneuver the remaining ones to Akwa Ibom State and simply attempt my fingers and see how it could go. That was the place I used to be noticed. I consider that you simply begin with what you may have. It’s what you may have that you need to use to your benefit. I appeared round and I requested myself what I had that I might use to maintain myself at this important time and I found that what I had have been potatoes.
Is that this one thing you plan to proceed to do?
For me, potatoes are fairly seasonal. My prayer is that because the season dwindles, the strike can be known as off. I simply began it to maintain me whereas the strike is on. I hope the strike can be known as off quickly.
Did it at any level matter to you that you simply resorted to promoting potatoes regardless of your tutorial {qualifications} and 
being a lecturer?
The reality is, sure, as a lecturer, there’s a approach my college students look as much as me, and I may even be trustworthy to say that throughout the interval we have been at dwelling, my college students saved calling, asking to understand how quickly they’d return to highschool and I saved telling them that I actually didn’t know. I counsel them to search out any reliable factor to have interaction themselves in out of college. There may be additionally schooling out of college however the strike is one thing that a few of us additionally skilled whereas we have been undergraduates. I saved encouraging them to search out one thing to do. I saved telling them shamelessly that I used to be on a farm with my mother and father, so after I began promoting potatoes as a lecturer, I didn’t actually really feel something. I simply felt it was a situation I had discovered myself in.
How did your colleagues react after they discovered?
After I instructed my colleagues once we have been speaking in regards to the challenges attributable to the strike, some even mentioned they envied me as a result of I had one thing to promote when they didn’t. So, for me, I’m okay with having one thing to do. My college students even patronise me. They felt inspired that I stooped to such a degree as a lecturer when a few of them have been busy feeling pompous at dwelling.
Inform us extra in regards to the enterprise. How profitable is it?
The potato enterprise is sort of profitable right here(in Akwa Ibom). One of many issues that makes it troublesome is the transport community. Attending to Akwa Ibom from Jos is just not as simple as different routes. So from Jos to Akwa Ibom, is just not a direct route for automobiles. The car that takes items to Akwa Ibom strikes as soon as every week and potatoes are perishable, they don’t seem to be farm produce that may keep for lengthy and don’t do nicely when uncovered to heavy rain and daylight. So, if it doesn’t get transported on time, its worth would scale back. Sure, when it comes to the gross sales margin, it’s diminished. Additionally, this season, potatoes didn’t actually do nicely as a result of there was a pandemic of the blite illness that affected it in Plateau State, and it additionally affected many farmers. The illness impacts the dimensions of the potatoes and right here on this a part of the nation, the larger the potatoes, the larger the demand. I got here to Akwa Ibom with one thing that was additionally affected, so it wasn’t so large. On a basic notice, after contemplating my bills, I had about N3,000 from one bag as my acquire on one thing I spent about N23,000 on. I’m not too bothered as a result of I simply felt it was one thing that ought to simply maintain me going; it’s only for sustenance inside this era. I’m hoping that factor would flip round quickly.
What are your ideas in regards to the lingering strike which led you into promoting potatoes?
I really feel dangerous as a result of I’m a lecturer and a member of ASUU. I want we might perceive {that a} lecturer in Nigeria is among the many least paid in the entire world, even in Africa. A professor earns a mean of 460,000 monthly, and that was when the previous system of fee was used. With the unbiased personnel payroll system, which ASUU is kicking in opposition to, I do know of a lecturer who has not been paid for 10 months earlier than this strike began due to the inconsistencies of the fee and that’s one factor. Then whenever you come into the college system, the construction wants consideration. When a lecturer teaches a category of about 300 college students with out an amplifier, that lecturer feels drained and sick on the finish of the lecture.
Additionally, when ASUU talks about revitilisation funds, to at the very least revitalise our system, it’s honest that the Federal Authorities ought to have a look at it. We’re not simply preventing for our welfare alone. We’re additionally preventing for the welfare of those establishments, and the earned allowances of a number of the lectures. I got here in a 12 months in the past however some will inform you they haven’t been paid their allowances for over 5 years. These are the issues ASUU has demanded since 2009. Allow us to return to what was negotiated and see how we are able to make some changes but it surely appears we’re not being heard or the understanding isn’t just there. ASUU’s calls for are honest. I really feel the tutorial sector isn’t just given precedence and it’s worrisome. Now, we’re going to produce graduates who stayed at dwelling for months throughout the COVID-19 lockdown, and when the lockdown ended, stayed at dwelling for six months. What ASUU is saying is that there needs to be an enduring resolution to the issues even when this (strike) is what it has to take.
Lecturers, their households and college students are essentially the most hit by the commercial motion. What’s your recommendation to your colleagues and others affected?
My recommendation to my colleagues, who I do know are already discovering methods to outlive, is they need to not relent. These of them who’ve grow to be progressive sufficient to search out technique of survival ought to simply proceed. And I hope those that have in all probability not discovered one thing to maintain them going will get the creativity to search out methods of survival even outdoors of the classroom. That is what the scenario of the nation has induced. Let’s carry on till we win. For all college students, schooling doesn’t solely occur within the classroom. In this type of scenario, allow them to discover themselves meaningfully engaged in different types of schooling, together with entrepreneurship. They need to additionally see this (strike) as a combat for his or her lecturers solely however as one which they need to be concerned in. The Federal Authorities, we wish a system that works and the calls for ASUU has made are honest and needs to be appeared into. I consider each job comes with its challenges, and when such come, it’s left for us all to brace up and face them, and on the finish of all of it, we are going to come out sturdy.
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