Victor EzejaWith the continued strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has resolved to comence a mass action today by blocking all federal roads including the ones leading to airports in protest against their continued stay at home.
NANS National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Victor Ezenagu, who stated this at the Channels Television SunriseDaily programme, said the mass action tagged ‘Operation Test Run’ is to force the government to look into the demands of ASUU for immediate resolution so that schools can reopen.
Comrade Ezenagu said all their organs and structures across the 36 states in the country and the federal capital territory have been instructed to block roads for at least three hours everyday.
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“We are poised at ensuring that our campuses are reopened and as such, the ultimatum and instruction has gone out to all the 36 states and the FCT calling on all our structures to begin immediately, starting from today, by barricading and blocking every federal road, every road leading to the airports, and ensuring they remain on the street for at least three hours every day until the Federal Government does something as regards to settling their impasse with ASUU for us to return to our campuses.”
The NANS PRO also said that part of their demand is that political stakeholders should not go ahead with party primaries without making concerted efforts to resolve the problem that has led to shutdown of the nation’s public universities for three months now with the attendant consequences on the education system and the students.
“We’ll issue a statement telling the government and the ruling and political class that there shall be no primaries or political Activities if the issue concerning Nigerian students is not resolved. We can’t be talking about next election, it should be next generation. If we are only taking about next election, what happens to the next generation? Education is the only thing that can guarantee the next generation and the existence of a better Nigeria,” Ezenagu stated.
ASUU had embarked on a warning strike in February following series of deadlock on several renegotiations of the 2009 agreement it had with the Federal Government on review of payment system for members, and revitalisation of the nation’s universities, among others.
At the expiration of three-old strike, ASUU tthroug its national chairman, Emmanuel Osokede on Monday announced extension of the the industrial action by another three months and decried the failure of the government to accede to it’s request.
This extension has dashed the hope of returning to school by students.
The ASUU president said the reason for the extension of the strike is due to failure of the three-man committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari in February to resolve the problem.
The three-man committee made up of minister of labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, minister of education, Adamu Adamu and Chief of staff to the president, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari were mandated to look into the issue of disagreement between ASUU and Federal Government.
On his part, former ASUU National President, Prof. Abiodun Ogunyemi, said the Federal Government has always resorted to playing game of deception each time the university raise the issue of implementing the 2009 agreement.
He said the current negotiation has become the longest they have had with try he government and accused the present administration of deliberately delaying the process till they leave office.
Ogunyemi said the manner in which the present government is handling ASUU demand is a reflection of the ruling class trying to destroy the education system in Nigeria by battling with the intelligensia who are simply agitating what is right.
The former ASUU president said the struggle of the union is to rescue the nation’s education system, adding that if the government has been sincere in implementing the recommendations contained in the agreement, the university system would have been repositioned to even attract foreigner students and derive foreign exchange earnings.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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