ASUU STRIKE: NANS protest in Abuja
The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Comrade Sunday Asefon, has led scores of students on Monday in Abuja to protest against ASUU decision to embark on a strike.
Comrade Sunday during his speech urged President Buhari to remove Mallam Adamu (Minister of Education) and Ngige(Minister of Labour and employment), because they have not made any progress to end the continual strike in Tertiary institutions across the Nation.
The protesters temporarily blocked the entrance gate to Phase I, of the Federal Secretariat Complex, housing the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment among others until a Police Officer, by name Abdullahi A.H intervened and tried to plead with the students by promising to arrange a meeting for them with the Minister.
Comr. Asefon, however promised that students from all over the country would relocate to Abuja to occupy the Federal Ministry of Education and Labour and hinder the two ministers from gaining access to their offices as long as public universities are shutdown.
Comr. Asefon further asssured the public that similar directive has been issued out to students to ensure that all offices of the Academic Staff Union of Universities are also blocked because lecturers equally share the blame.
A statement signed by the NANS Vice President (Special Duties), Odiahi Thomas Ikhine, and made available to newsmen during the protest reads: “The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) has over the years displayed a high level of disregard for students and it’s leadership.”
According to Odiahi,
” The Union has continually used students as objects for selfish negotiation and blackmail.
“It is very obvious that ASUU as a union is made up of self centered individuals who have bastardized a lot of people’s future, frustrated many and continually abuse girls sexually.
“The Federal Government has equally done little or nothing in the area of educational funding as they have in all ramification failed Nigeria students entirely.
“All we need is for ASUU as a union to look for meaningful alternative ways to sort things out with the Government and QUIT seeing students as a tool for negotiation.
“Having said so, NANS is also calling on ASUU and the Federal Government to urgently look for a way to stem the tide of these incessant strikes.
“ASUU need to know that their action is not only in the interest of students or the educational sector, and so we as an organization is dawned with the responsibility of defending the rights and privileges of Nigerian students by making sure they don’t suffer any set back.
All union Presidents, joint Campus Committees, Zonal structures of NANS are by this notice called upon to begin the mobilization of Nigeria students to barricade all major highways in the country as well as prepare to occupy all academic Staff quarters all over the country within 48 hours starting from Monday 14th February 2022. “We also urge all students remain in school halls of residents and remain calm for further instruction from the National Executive council of NANS.
