Usman Opeyemi, a 200-level student of the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, has begun a Point of Sale business, which he named ‘ASUU strike PoS’ amid the lingering strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities which has lasted seven months.
Opeyemi, a student of History and International Studies said he began the business when the strike action of ASUU appeared to have dashed hopes.
Sharing the picture of himself sitting at his shop, he had tweeted on Tuesday, “I don open business ooo, courtesy of ASUU strike.”
When asked what was the brain behind it, he said, “It’s just this strike; when you have your hope dashed, you have all your plans shattered. The inspiration just came that I should do something considering the kind of environment we are.”
When asked if the strike was traumatising for him, Opeyemi replied affirmatively, “Honestly! Because I initially applied for Law at the university, I wasn’t given, so I was of the opinion that let me quickly run this International Relations course and come back for law as a second degree.”
“But, with this strike now, that may not be possible considering the economic situation of the country. Some parts of our team have been shattered,” he stated.
Opeyemi, who said he had been trying to fend for himself for a while now, added, “I left home since 2020, being on my own.”
He said the PoS business was thriving. “Yes, it actually pays. People are coming especially when they see the name. They’re wowed and say: ‘Oh that ASUU boy, let’s patronise him,” he said.
“I will advise that we should just make the best of the moment, utilise it well so we won’t lose at the end,” he urged other colleagues affected by the strike.
He noted that the students were the ones at the receiving end, adding that by the time strike would be called off, lecturers would be paid and government would continue their work too.
DAILY GIST reported that ASUU had declared a comprehensive, total and indefinite strike over federal government’s failure to meet its demands.
Some of the demands include, payments of salary arrears, better working conditions, renegotiation of the 2009 FG-ASUU agreement, payment of earned academic allowances, funds for the revitalization of public universities, promotion arrears, and poor funding of state universities.
