ASUU Strike Has Crippled Us, Unizik Keke Operators Lament

Keke operators at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Thursday, told THE WHISTLER that unless the ongoing nationwide strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities is called off, their business would crumbled.

According to them, they only go out to work to avoid being labelled ‘lazy’.

Amechi Ozioke said, “Since morning, I have not gotten N300. The time now is 5pm. I particularly go out so that my wife will not call me a lazy man. We eat from her sole sweat presently.”

Kenechukwu Eze said, “I bought my Keke at N1.5m on hire purchase. If I don’t go out, the owner will say I am lazy. We settled after some quarrels that I should be moving out everyday, whether I make money or not.

“I’m registered at Unizik. Since this strike started, it has not been easy. We simply gather here to chat from morning to night. The strike is now about five months, and life has not been easy.”

Another operator simply said, “Write to Buhari to pay the lecturers so that they will start work. This government is likely to be the worst ever, in as much as I know.”

Our correspondent reports that university lecturers began their strike in February this year, and no glimpse of hope towards when the strike will be called off following the federal government’s failure to fulfill its agreement with ASUU.