An education advocate and founder of the Onono Onimisi Foundation (OOF), Onono Onimisi Rafatu, has expressed strong support for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), emphasizing that the union’s ongoing struggles are rooted in a quest for dignity and improved education, not personal comfort.
In an opinion article titled “ASUU and Government: Who to Blame?” published on Tuesday, Rafatu criticized the Federal Government’s approach to negotiations with the lecturers’ union, accusing it of neglecting the education sector through persistent underfunding and poor policy implementation.
“ASUU’s fight has never been about comfort. It is a cry for respect, for better funding, and for a system that values education with the same urgency it gives to politics,” she wrote.
Rafatu argued that the government, not the lecturers, should be held responsible for the recurring crises in Nigeria’s universities, stressing that the authorities have repeatedly failed to honor agreements or invest meaningfully in the education sector.
“Let’s be honest, the true culprits here are not the lecturers but the government—the same system that underfunds education, delays salaries, and pays lip service to reform,” she stated.
She described Nigerian lecturers as unsung heroes who continue to work under harsh and demoralizing conditions while striving to educate and inspire students.
“Our lecturers are not the enemies. They are the ones who mark scripts late into the night, report to class even when their pockets are empty, and still try to inspire hope in a decaying system,” Rafatu said.
According to her, ASUU’s demands are aimed at creating a learning environment that rewards excellence rather than endurance.
“Before you dismiss their struggle, try teaching for two weeks without pay, recognition, or support. Only then will you understand the weight ASUU carries,” she noted.
Rafatu urged Nigerians to view ASUU’s struggle not as an act of disruption but as a call for justice and genuine reform.
“The real question isn’t, ‘Why is ASUU always fighting?’ but ‘Why does the government always give them a reason to?’” she asked.
She concluded that unless the government fulfills its promises and prioritizes education, Nigeria’s university system will continue to suffer from neglect, underfunding, and repeated industrial actions.
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