ASUU/FG Impasse: NANS Plans Nationwide Protest, Court Action

 

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has resolved to organise a nationwide mass protest to press home its demand for the immediate reopening of all universities across the country.

This is part of resolutions reached in a communiqué is­sued on Wednesday in Enugu after NANS students’ leaders emergency virtual meeting held on November 9.

 The communiqué said that the continued strike was an organised crime against stu­dents’ career and educational pursuits.

It said that NANS with no hesitation declares 14-day ultimatum for both parties (ASUU and FG) to resolve their impasse for campuses to re-open or risk mass protest.

According to the state­ment, #EndASUUStrike pro­test will have economic shut down as the major target.

The statement reads in part: “That NANS declares the necessity of minimum of two academic session school fees 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.

“That the government has failed to prioritise education, hence the failure to deploy necessary fund for complete overhauling of education sec­tor and total revitalisation of university education in Nige­ria.”

The association noted that governments had not earmarked meaningful bud­getary allocation to the sector in line with the recommenda­tion of UNESCO 26 percent educational budgetary allo­cation.

According to the students’ body, this can be traced as the root cause of incessant strike by the Academic Staff Unions in all Nigeria tertiary institu­tions.

“That NANS has affirmed the perpetual and continued industrial actions by 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 ASUU and FG to resolve their impasse for our campuses to re-open or risk mass protest tagged #EndASUUStrike Nationwide – with economic shut down as the major target.

“That while both gov­ernment and ASUU lose nothing at the end of every strike, both salaries, promo­tions and other emoluments among others flow uninter­rupted; Nigerian students are the greatest losers as their career are delayed, stay on campus extended, house rent/hostel fee incurred, NYSC age limit exceeded, federal/state job age require­ment exceeded among other negative effects and impacts on general life plan of an average Nigerian student, which are considered an act of deliberate wickedness.

“That NANS, on behalf of Nigerian students shall approach the Federal High Court to seek legal redress on ASUU and FG in demand for compensation/damages for Nigerians students’ time wastage, life plan disruption and career delay.

“These shall include, man­datory alternative modalities for ASUU to press home her members’ demand without interrupting academic cal­endar.

“NYSC age limit extension, mandatory removal of age limit for federal and state job employment, unconditional two academic session school fees waiver among others re­spectively”.

The statement said that the leadership of NANS, led by Comrade Chidi Ilogebe would proceed to have a press confer­ence to address Nigerian stu­dents, Federal Government and ASUU on our positions and next line of action as re­solved therein.

The communiqué was jointly signed by the commu­niqué drafting committee led by Mr. Salahudeen Lukman as Chairman, from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Mr. Danladi Jonah from Modi­bo Adama Federal University Yola, Adamawa State.

Others are Mr. Ogunsanya Rasheed, JCC Chairman, La­gos, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, No­forija-Epe, Lagos State and Mr. Nwafor Joshua, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.

The rest are Mr. Adai Pius, SUG President, Federal Uni­versity of Agriculture, Mak­urdi (FUAM), Benue State, and Rukkayya Yusuf, ABU Zaria, Kaduna State.0000000000000000000