Business activities have
returned to the premises of the University of Calabar as lectures have resumed after the strike by ASUU, the Academic Staff Union of Universitites (ASUU).
The Tide gathered that the campus taxis and buses now have a field day.
Petty business outlets including computer and photocopy centres, book shops and eating joints have all opened to customers.
Some of the business operators told newsmen that they were happy to be back to business after more than the five-month by ASUU strike and the Yuletide.
Mrs Irene Asuquo, a restaurant operator, said that the long strike impacted negatively on her business.
‘’Honesty, it was not easy. The strike was too long and this had seriously affected my business negatively. I could not raise my children’s school fees last September.
‘’So, I thank God that everything is gradually picking up again because without the students, we cannot do anything,’’ she said.
Asuquo urged the lecturers and the Federal Government to always consider the interest of the campus business community whenever they were to embark on any industrial action.
A campus taxi driver, Mr Sunday Jackson, said that he was happy to be back at work as he incurred some losses due to the industrial dispute.
‘’Things are just beginning to happen, but it has not been easy. It was a clear case of where two elephants fight, the grass suffers.
‘’For more than five months, we just came here to sleep under the tree. It was a very bad situation,’’ he said.
Jackson, however, thanked the lecturers and the government for finding a common ground to resolve the issues.
He said there was need for the two parties to permanently solve the problem of the universities once and for all to avoid further disruption of activities on the campus.
He said that even although the union and the government might not recognise the contributions of the business community, they were rendering invaluable services to the university.
A book seller, Mr Innocent Obu, advised ASUU to find a new way of fighting for their welfare rather than embarking on industrial action.
‘’ASUU members are learned enough, so, they should device a more civilised means of fighting for their welfare instead of embarking on strike.
‘’Strike only ends up causing hardship for the people,’’ he said.