The psychological effect of the ongoing strike on a Nigerian Student by OLUWATOSIN AKINNUOYE

LET ME BE PAUL; THE DEPRESSED

Paul the apostle wrote letters of encouragement to the body of Christ. However, this piece may not totally be an article of encouragement to the students and whoever this reaches to, you may rather tag it ‘a note on how I feel’. 

In the past 5 months and even today, I'm depressed but I realized that many young persons in Nigeria feel this same way, especially university students. 

 

When the ongoing strike was announced some months back, I felt bad, but hopeful as it was tagged "warning strike", I saw it as a luxury opportunity to explore details on my research work.

I keep wanting to avoid social media, considering how almost every update on my timeline, starting with Facebook all reads of my junior class Mates back at Secondary School who are signing out from their undergraduate level, signing into NYSC (“answering the Clarion call”), others having their Passing Out Parades etc. Let's not even mention how far my mates have gone.

Fast forward to today;

I’m at the peak of my research project and it’s tired of waiting…

Nigeria's educational system is disappointing, to say the least. It continues to tamper with our plans for the future. Educational attainment can no longer be rated as a hope for the future of any young person. The good old teaching that ‘Children are the leaders of tomorrow’ is gradually loosing meaning, while some totally considers it a fallacy.  

Regardless, the situation has taught me a couple of things:

1. You can always Lead

Positional leadership is not the only way to lead, you can lead in any industry you occupy, including skills acquired, religious groups, agriculture, etc. With the rate of economic underdevelopment in Nigeria, farming is lucrative to engage in as a youth. Jacob, Esau, Abraham etc. were rich farmers in the bible days. Many wealthy people in today's society engage in farming as their major source of income, others as a supplementary source of income.

You can also lead in your marriage; Ruth and Esther broke records even as married women. There are so many places we can lead in, some people lead in war fronts, others lead government and politicians even as we have in present day, some lead academically. In the Bible people led differently, but Jesus led them all, he is master of all things. It is he that maketh rich and addeth no sorrow.

2. God's word will come to pass

I understand that the present day challenges, both societal or personal might shake your conviction at times and cause you to doubt the God’s word. It may not even look like God's promises are upon your life, but these are part of the contradictions of life. 

Know this, it is only God that can bring a prophecy to past and this to me, is good news. Your role is obedience and alliance with the will of God, holding on to your prophetic word until it happens because God's word never falls to the ground.

To illustrate further, while growing up as a child, there were times I wished I could see my father's heart to know his plans for me. Would he get me those shoes I asked for or will he get a better one? Sometimes, I got anxious and worried that he may have concluded at heart not to get me those things because of my misbehavior. His silence or delay alot of times added to my worry but the same silence usually resulted lovely surprises. How I love him.

Overtime, I learnt to totally trust my father's silence. He never attended to my needs considering my sins and that also taught me a great lesson on forgiveness. 

 

The same thing happens in my relationship with Abba, I want to peep into God's heart so I can know his thoughts and plans towards me, ask him why his promises for my life is delaying.

I understand that if I can trust my earthly father and God loves me even more than he does, then I can trust that God has even better plans.

3. Give thanks

ASUU strike has produced traumatized university students than it has brought lasting solution to Nigeria’s educational system. Notwithstanding, give thanks.

This might be easier said than done but considering the below may be helpful :

* God is trustworthy: Almost everyone gets depressed after realizing that their juniors and mates have really gone ahead of them in life. Remember God is trustworthy and even more reliable than our earthly parents.

* Death: It’s sad that we get depressed when we’re not as successful as others but we never compare ourselves to the dead. It’s important to be reminded that some less successful persons than you, junior classmates and mates have died with their visions and were buried with their dreams.

 * Ungratefulness: I realized that my state of depression was ungratefulness on my part. 1 chronicle 16:34 Give thanks to the lord, he is good and his steadfast love is forever.

Lastly, I laughed hard when I recalled on the draft I made of my life back at Secondary School but most times when I remember, I conceived opinions that schooling in a Nigerian public university is really unfortunate.

 According to that draft, at age 21 I’m supposed to be working with a law firm or the CBN. But after jamb played its cause on me, following was delayed admission into the university. This is a challenge an average Nigerian jambite is usually faced with. I was finally offered an admission, but I wasn’t offered at my dream school nor my dream course. The whole situation had effects on me which is a story for another day.

Finally, I later on realized that the course you study in Nigeria and the world at large doesn’t always matter, it’s not a determinant of success, the likes of Eno Sam (President, BEWA Africa), Former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who studied Botany and many others proves this point.

To cut a long story short, I am a final year student in Sociology at the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, ASUU is playing its own cause as it has played severally and like many others I’m already getting old in the university.

In conclusion, someone feels exactly how you feel but just because you didn’t graduate at a certain age doesn’t mean God is not good.

I recommend that in the upcoming 2023 election, every Nigerian youth should fight political apathy and exercise their franchise while strictly looking out for a leader who attaches utmost value to the educational system.

 Parents should also consider this in choosing whom they would vote as a president so as to save their children from these cankerworms of time in educational attainment.

I am Oluwatosin, a full expression of everything beautiful God made.. 

#AnAccomplishedWoman