After the Academic Staff Union Of Universities, ASUU yesterday extended its strike action to 12 weeks due to its unmet demands by the federal government, this act has infuriated the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to commence a nationwide protest, tagged “operation test run”.
They have vowed to disrupt all political activities and shut down federal roads in the country via a protest, pending when the federal government finally meets the demands of ASUU. Members of NANS have disclosed that the lackluster attitude of the federal government to meet the demands of ASUU has left them with no choice but to shut down federal roads and disrupt political activities.
They have further warned the government to stay clear of their actions, as they vent their grievances. In a response to NANS threat and actions, the president of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has come out to appeal to the union through its representatives, not to disrupt political activities.
Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 16 (Feb 10 – May 3, 2025) opens registrations; register today for early bird discounts.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and invest in Africa’s finest startups here.
He appealed to them to shun resorting to violence, urging them to continue on the path of consultation and avoid confrontation. In his words, “I want to advise, I don’t think it will be necessary to disrupt political activities. We shouldn’t do that and we don’t need to do that. What we need to do is to continue to follow the path of consultation, and consolidation and avoid confrontation. It is when you emphasize consultation, that it’s much easier for us to find something that you can consolidate”.
He however assured them that the senate was going to work towards ending the strike as soon as possible. It is disheartening, to see the way the future of young Nigerians is toiled with. Unfortunately, incessant strike actions have become a part and parcel of federal universities in Nigeria, distorting the academic activities of young Nigerians which has affected them in so many areas.
Those saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that the Educational sector is properly funded and handled effectively, have the effrontery to purchase expression forms for outrageous amounts. The minister of education for state, Emeka Nwajiuba joined the long list of politicians who purchased the presidential form, meanwhile, ASUU is on strike. This act is nothing but a misplaced priority.
It shows that these political class do not have the issues of the people at heart, rather, they are all about satisfying their selfish desires. The educational sector continues to remain poorly funded, and these politicians wonder why the country’s economy has not improved.
How can a nation’s economy improve when the educational sector is in shambles? A close observation of developed and developing nations, one will notice that they properly fund their educational sector, thereby maintaining high standards.
With the strike action by NANS, it is evident that frustrations have begun to set in among these students, and the government must understand that with such grievances, these students won’t hesitate to carry out dastardly acts in society. In other to avoid such from happening, there should be an urgent response to the demands of ASUU.
According to information gathered, it was disclosed that the polytechnic lecturers are also set to down their tools as they still have some unmet demands. This is appalling! It’s high time the presidency and other political officials put aside their electoral charade and attend to the pressing issue of the ASUU strike before it degenerates into something unpleasant.
The Nigerian polytechnic lecturers under the umbrella of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) have declared a two-week warning strike with effect from Monday, May 16.
This position was contained in a statement signed by the union’s president, Anderson Ezeibe, and dated May 11, 2022.
The statement noted that the decision was taken at its 102nd emergency national executive council meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The union said the decision became imperative following the failure of the government to implement the Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed in June, 2021, which informed the suspension of its two-month strike at the time.