The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has given the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) a 14-day ultimatum to resolve their differences and reopen the universities.
The students’ body threatened that should the two parties refuse to heed their call, they (the students) would be left with no option but to hit the streets in protests. They cautioned that the country’s economy could come to a grinding halt should they take to public agitations.
The decisions were reached yesterday during an emergency virtual meeting of its leaders. A statement issued by Salahudeen Lukman (chairman), Danladi Jonah (vice chairman) and Modibo Adama from Federal University Yola, Adamawa State said the continued strike by the lecturers was an “organised crime against students’ career and educational pursuits.”
They therefore issued a “14-day ultimatum for ASUU and FG to resolve their impasse for campuses to re-open or risk mass protest.” The students added: “NANS declares the necessity of minimum of two academic sessions fee waiver for Nigerian students in both state and federal institutions in the spirit of COVID-19 palliative to ameliorate the economic effects of the lockdown occasioned by the global pandemic.
“This is to avert mass drop out of students which may increase crime and criminality among youths in the country.
“The government has failed to prioritise education, hence the failure to deploy necessary fund for the complete overhaul of the education sector and total revitalisation of university education in Nigeria, through a meaningful budgetary allocation to the sector in line with the recommendation of UNESCO’s 26 per cent educational budgetary allocation, which can be traced as the root cause of incessant strike by the academic staff unions in all Nigerian tertiary institutions.”
They went on: “NANS has affirmed the perpetual and continued industrial actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as the only tool to press home her demands as an organised crime against students’ career and educational pursuits.”
“Consequently, NANS with no hesitation declares 14 days ultimatum for both parties (ASUU and FG) to resolve their impasse for our campuses to re-open or risk mass with economic shutdown as the major target.”
Ogunsanya Rasheed; Michael Otedola; Nwafor Joshua; Madai Pius and Rukkayya Yusuf were signatories to the document.
