The National Association of Nigerian Students on Monday
condemned the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
NANS President, Asefon Sunday, in a statement, expressed
“great disappointment” at the “comprehensive and total” four-week strike
declared by ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, on Monday.
Asefon slammed the Federal Government and the ASUU
leadership for failure to resolve their issues amicably without resort to
strike.
He also said Nigerian students will stage a nationwide
protest to demonstrate their dissatisfaction.
Osodeke at a press conference on
Monday said ASUU National Executive Council resolved to embark on the strike as
the government has failed to implement the Memorandum of Action it signed with
the ASUU in December 2020.
But in the statement titled, ‘ASUU Warning Strike: A
Reckless Irresponsibility’, signed by the NANS President, Asefon said, “We have
received the news of the decision of ASUU to embark on a month warning strike
with great disappointment. We have thought ASUU and FG represented by top
executives would allow reason to prevail, reached compromise, act responsibly
in the interest of the education sector and indeed Nigeria, to do all that is
required to responsibly avert this avoidable strike.
“We are appalled by the impunity, recklessness, and
irresponsibility the managers of this negotiation from both sides of the table has
managed the fragile situation allowing it to degenerate to the level of
industrial action. We are therefore compelled to believe that negotiators from
both sides acted so irresponsibly because of their apathy of the interest and
welfare of the major stakeholder of the sector(students) during the
negotiations.
“We are equally disappointed at the government for not doing
everything possible to avert this embarrassment. We are also disappointed with
the ASUU for reaching this conclusion irrespective of the implications to the
students, academic calendar, research they claim to love, national security,
and sanity. The Government and ASUU by this action sent a direct message to
Nigerian students to also take positions comfortable for our side of the table irrespective
of the implications. Let me say equivocally that we will respond in clear
language, the language the oppressors understand.
“I passionately
appeal to all students leaders, NANS structures, and organs across the nation
to mobilize to our national non-elective congress on the 17th of February where
far-reaching decisions shall be made on our collective response to this blatant
lack of patriotism, human feelings, and feelings for the collective future of
education in Nigeria.
“Our decisions shall be decisive, collective, and
irreversible until the strike is called off. We shall fight this impunity and
recklessness without any consideration other than an immediate end to this
strike.
“We, therefore, inform the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige,
to expect us in our numbers, and ASUU should be ready to return to the table to
end this avoidable, reckless and repugnant strike. Let me assure the Minister
of Labour that our protest in his office today is introductory and child play
in what is yet to come. We are resolute more than before to ensure we hold
government, especially the ministry of labour responsible for these incessant
strike actions.
“Further negotiations should as a matter of urgency have
students representative as part of the parties to allow balance in decisions
that are capable of impairing the lives of students and derailing their
progress. The contentions and issues are triangular and must be treated so,
going forward.”
ASUU had embarked on a nine-month-long strike in 2020 and
called it off after a lot of foot-dragging by both the government and the
lecturers.
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