The last six months of the year 2013 constituted a
downturn in the nation’s university education system when the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) gave deaf ears to the cries of both students, parents and indeed other stakeholders in the education sector and stuck out its neck to achieving its demands through the just-called off strike action.
The reason for this adamancy could not have been different from the fact that any other means by the union would only result in non-adherence of the federal government to its demands. And like the President, Nasir Fagge said: “ASUU’s national executives’ position that the funds for the revitalization due to universities in 2013 should be released within the first two weeks of December 2013, is not a new demand. It is a sensible suggestion to guard against implementation failure…”
Sensible in the sense that were the strike action not carried out, the period would have elapsed and the whole agreement for that calendar year possibly forgotten. ASUU reasoned that should drastic measures not taken, it would all end in lips and paper and implementation only God knows when. Thus, the drastic step.
But for another resolution between the federal government and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) at a six-hour meeting last Thursday in Abuja, the nation would have been looming in yet another hardship in the health sector that would not only trigger the rate of degenerated ill-health but death toll (even untimely) of its citizenry. And it has not ended because the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) is on a seven-day warning strike action pressing for its demands which it said implementation has been lingering for so long a time.
As if these were not enough, union of oil workers, NUPENG and PENGASSAN had threatened a nation-wide strike beginning from January I and Nigerians have been apprehensive of the state of the oil and gas sector until last Tuesday when it announced its suspension after a meeting with representatives of the unions and the federal government and subsequent signing of a communiqué to engage in solid dialogue for the good of both parties and, of course, avert the strike.
It will not be a surprise to see any other union or body rising up for an industrial action within the shortest possible weeks or months.
Reminiscing on the current state of affairs of the nation, it is on a sad note that virtually every sector of the economy is resorting to strike action to push its demands through, a situation that which indicates that strike actions have become the order of the day.
Call it status quo or normalcy in the present Nigerian system, it would also be reasonable to blame some of these institutions or union for their actions especially because of demands could be obviously faulted. Nevertheless, the part of the government really needs to be x-rayed for a possible aversion or minimising of these strike action.
Even so, because, every government has a social responsibility to  governed and until such is physically touched (implemented, by implication) by the people and entire territory, all said, promised or even signed are but in vain.
Unfortunately, the Nigerian government in almost all spheres is associated with implementation failure, a syndrome has eaten deep into the fabrics of the nation’s politics and governance irrespective of who or what is affected. Maybe because the nation’s political state is yet to be associated with the civilized ones.
Practically speaking, every civilized politician or leader in his aspirations makes his populace paramount in his political agenda. This  calls for an adventure into some intensive and sincere understudy as to be armed with issues affecting its governed and indeed, the environment. Issus of revenue and allocations, issues of potentials that can be harnessed to enhance economic viability and, of course, the platform for the workability of the proposed achievement which of course must be accomplished or implemented within the said era or period. Is it really practicable in and among the nation’s politicians and leaders?
It calls for no reservation to say at this point that it is the implementation of the said MOUs and resolutions that allows us the facilities we enjoy in other nations (even the developing ones), an act that has made these countries permanently developed than ours and permanently placed us as inferior and dependent on them. But for how long?
Implementation failure has not only challenged the issue of transparency and trust, the very essence of a true democratic system, but fanned the embers of corruption across the country. It has also dashed the hopes of common Nigerian in the acclaimed democratic governance and has thus fostered the resort to dubious and self-centered means of achieving demands, means that most times benefit a few at the detriment of thousands.
Signing of MOUs is not an end in itself but a means to an end suggesting that there should be some cross-matching of words with actions especially as it affects the mainstream economy of the nation.
Suffice it to say therefore that the year 2014 should be used to correct the ills of 2013 and in fact the ASUU-like strike actions geared towards equal consideration and implementation of demands that would impact positively on the lives and activities of Nigerians in all spheres.

 
Lady Ogbulu