By HILLARY AKALUGWU
NSUKKA- Some business operators in the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) have begged the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resolve their face-off and end the lingering strike.
They made the plea in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka on Wednesday.
The operators comprising food vendors, transporters and cyber cafe, said the ongoing strike by ASUU had inflicted hardships on their families.
According to them, UNN where they earn their daily bread by selling food and do other businesses has been deserted by staff and students in the past three months as a result of the strike.
Mrs Philomena Ezeugwu, a food vendor, said her family members were going through hardship since the ASUU embarked on the strike.
“It’s from the money I get from my food business in UNN that I use to feed my family and take care of other responsibilities.
“I am a widow, since five years ago my husband died, it’s the money I generate from this my business that I used to feed my children and pay their school fees.
“I am begging government to meet the demands of ASUU so that the union will suspend the strike and students will come back,” she said.
Mrs Stella Ogbonna, fruit seller, said that, ASUU strike which started on February 14, affected her business in the campus as well as her family upkeep.
“Feeding my family is a serious problem for me now, coupled with high cost of goods and services in the market.
“I urge ASUU to consider students and those of us who earn our livelihood from the campus to suspend the strike and continue negotiation with government.
*Government should ensure that this ASUU strike is suspended before the end of this month so that life will return in public universities across the country,” he said.
Mr Theodor Nnamani, also a restauranteur, said because of the strike, he now hawked sachet water and soft drinks in Nsukka Old Motor Park.
“I have three children and I will not sit at home to tell them that, because ASUU is on strike, there will be no food on the table for them,” he said.
A campus shuttle driver, Ifeanyi Ugwu, said that life had been unbearable for him since the strike started adding that he hardly met his family demands due to slow businesses occasioned by the ASUU strike.
Mr Obinna Nweke, who operates a business centre, said, “By now, new and final year students would have been trooping to my shop for photocopies, printing and binding of projects but unfortunately, there’s no customer because of the strike.
”I am appealing to the federal government and ASUU to resolve their differences and suspend the strike.
“My prayer everyday is that government and ASUU will find a lasting solution to end incessant strike in public universities,”he said (NAN)
