Some transporters, traders and others who provide
services on university campuses have lamented the
negative impact of the strike embarked on by the
Academic Staff Union of Universities three months ago.
They said the strike was not favourable to their
businesses, adding that the strike had reduced their sales
and income.
Our correspondent, who visited the Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, University of Lagos, Lagos
State, and the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State,
observed that activities in the universities had been
paralysed.
Shops, where photocopies and printing works were made,
were closed. Few shops that were open operated their
services at a high cost.
When our correspondent visited OAU on Friday, it was
gathered that traders at the Awolowo, Angola, Moremi and
Mozambique Halls of the university had not been opening
for business since the strike started.
A motorist, identified simply as Baba Gbayi, told our
correspondent that some of them were forced to stop
operating few weeks after the strike began because of low
patronage.
He said, “This strike period is tough for us. Most people
who own buses are no longer coming. Only those of us
that got our buses on hire purchase are forced to come to
work because we have to complete our payment. There is
nothing more killing than this strike because since it has
started we no longer see passengers as before.”
Another motorist, Chinedu Akpan, said even the few
students on the campus were not willing to board
commercial buses because they lacked cash.
Akpan said, “I am praying that the strike ends soon. I have
three children and two of my siblings are also living with
me. We have been struggling to eat. By the time schools
resume from holidays, it will be worse. My prayer is that
the strike would be called off before they resume.
“Another thing is that the students are also broke so they
prefer to trek. Some of them will even be negotiating the
transport fare because they know that we have no
choice.”
A trader, identified simply as Iya Sanjo, said, “You can see
that none of us opened. The strike is really disastrous as
the school management has sent some of the students
home. If we must open, we have to use the generator
which is more expensive especially when customers are
not many.”
At UNILAG, traders at the car park opposite the Mass
Communication Department and Jaja Hall opened shops
but lamented losses.
A motorist, who drives UNILAG shuttle bus, described the
strike as a punishment for the operators.
“I urge the Federal Government and ASUU to meet and
find a lasting solution to this strike. They are only
punishing us because they collect their salaries while we
cannot live without our daily earnings. Now that there are
no passengers, how do they want us to survive? The
Federal Government and ASUU should reach a
compromise,” he said.
A trader, who preferred anonymity, expressed
dissatisfaction with the Federal Government and ASUU,
saying, “They have kept us in an unfavourable condition
while they continue with their lives. I have to open partially
so that the perishable goods in my shop won’t get spoilt.
We sell at low prices, yet there is low patronage.”
The situation at the OOU was not different from that of
OAU and UNILAG. But the fate of the service providers
was made more precarious because there are no
students’ hostels at OOU.
Some food sellers at the university’s permanent site in
Ago Iwoye told our correspondent that they currently
operate skeletal services to cater for few students and
other people who strayed into the campus to check what
was happening.
One of them, Mrs. Nonye Sunday, said, “It is obvious that
the strike is not doing us any good. Of course, the non-
academic staff are around, but because of this strike,
students no longer come like before. Even the workers
that are in school leave early and many of them do not eat
our food.”
A mechanic in the university town, Taiwo Mecho, said the
students formed the bulk of his patrons, “and since their
lecturers are on srike, we no longer see them.”
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