ASUU Strike: Lecturer Puts Books For Sale, Wants FG To Stop Nigerians From Studying Abroad

A lecturer at the University of Maiduguri, Dr Abubakar Othman, has advised the Federal Government to stop Nigerians from sending their children abroad for studies if it wants to address the challenges in the education sector.

Dr Othman, who teaches Literature and Creative Writing, gave the advice on Sunday in a phone interview with THE WHISTLER.

He said all the problems of infrastructure decay and poor welfare in the sector, including incessant strike by university lecturers would be solved if the government stops Nigerians from sending their children abroad for schooling.

The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) has been on strike across the country since February.

“The lasting solution to the university crisis in Nigeria is to stop all Nigerians from studying abroad for at least twenty years,” he said.

Dr Othman had posted a picture of his bookshelf on his Facebook page, with a sitirical message calling on interested buyers to locate his office at University of Maiduguri.

The post said he had given up on Nigeria’s education system which seems to deteriorate day by day.

“In line with the destruction of university education in Nigeria today, and the starving of university lecturers by the insensitive APC government, I no longer need these books. Those that still believe that education in Nigeria is important, please come to my office at the address below and buy these books at your own price. l am available in the office from 9am to 5pm daily including weekends.

Access Address : Department of English and literary studies 
University of Maiduguri. 
Sign. Dr Abubakar Othman,” the post reads.

Speaking to THE WHISTLER about the post, he said:

“Yes, I did post the picture of my office full of books, my only asset in the world. I displayed the books declaring them for sale, but actually I said so with my tongue in the cheek. 

“Most people understood it as a satire against the anti-academic government of the barely literate irritant president. However, few did not get it right and actually rushed for the books.

“About the strike, ASUU appears to have taken a Watch and Wait position. Government has lost all credibility with their persistent lies, self contradictions and denying the obvious.”

The lecturer disclosed his sadness when he said the salary of an average lecturer is so meagre that it can hardly sustain them and their family. 

“One good thing about the bad thing regarding lecturers salaries is that they were never enough to just sustain us and our families. Therefore, the stoppage of our salaries only added a little misery to the misery we are already used to. We are coping, we have always been coping, but this time around we do it with stoic dignity to prove the sadists wrong.

“An average lecturer earns less than 200,000 Naira a month,” he said.