By Dorathy Tor
A senior lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Benue State University, Makurdi, Dr John Ogi, has expressed delight at returning to work after about eight (8) months of industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Recall that ASUU shutdown public universities in the country on February 14 to press home their demands to the Federal Government (FG), bothering on welfare of staff and institutions.
He said the strike lasted for about eight months following the inability of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to reach a truce with the striking lecturers.
After several court cases which the FG later resorted to, the strike was, however, suspended on October 14.
During his first day in office on Monday, after the re-opening of the school, Ogi expressed readiness to continue inculcating knowledge to his students, saying he used the break to improve on his knowledge through research.
He also said duty calls and we have to abandon all extra curricular duties to be back to the job. While the break lasted, I could write a whole book about my observations, experiences, encounters, and interface with the ethnographic research I ventured into.
“I am a social scientist, the focus of my research is to understand human behaviours, use present trends to forecast future occurrences, indeed I took a research endeavour using ethnographic research method which leaves you with the objects being observed in a neutral state without influence or prior knowledge of being observed.
He said “now I am equipped and will someday discuss my findings and recommendations with the public.”