By Ayodele Oni
The continued stay at home of university students and their idleness, occasioned by the lingering strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) may lead to mental disorder for the students.
A medical practitioner, Felix Kehinde, who is also candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate for Ondo East/West federal constituency in next year’s general elections, said the strike will also have negative impact on the economy.
The UK-based Medical Specialist, in a statement on Thursday, noted that if Nigeria is a country with serious and compassionate leaders, this strike would have ended long ago in the interest of the common man and the future of the nation.
“No serious nation in the world jokes with its future like Nigeria does. The social impact of the ongoing ASUU strike cannot be understated.
“A lot of young people who have been home for 6 months without engaging in any productive activity will definitely suffer one form of mental health issue or another.
“As you are aware that an idle hand is the devil’s workshop. There is no denying the fact that young people, who are sitting idly at home are more likely to take into drugs, internet fraud, crime and other vices than their colleagues in private universities.
“We must understand these things are well linked. Even when the strike will be over, it is really sad these young people may find it difficult to get back to their normal lives.”
He advised university managements to begin to put in place functional guidance and counseling units with a special focus on mental health.
“He said the campus economy must have been negatively impacted since the university lecturers embarked on strike.
“There are over 80 public universities in Nigeria and some of these universities have more than one campus. Most of these campuses are almost equal in sizes to some towns with viable economies.
“A thinking government would have thought of how the small scale businesses would survive if our campuses remain shut.
“Nigerian government and ASUU should as a matter of urgency and national interest, end the impasse and allow these students who have been roaming the streets to go back to the classrooms”
He said people must beginning to ask questions from their representatives, both local and national, saying that is one of the ways government at the center and sub-national can feel the pulse of the common man.
ASUU, had on Monday announced the strike, which started since February till October “to allow government more time to resolve their demands.”
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