Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities face grave danger over failure to reopen universities in the country.
This is as the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to embark on nationwide protest akin to ENDSARS protests if they fail to reach an agreement in reopening of the institutions within 14 days.
The resolution contained in a communiqué issued on Wednesday in Enugu after NANS Students’ Leaders Emergency Virtual Meeting held on November 9, resolved to organise a nationwide mass protest for immediate reopening of universities in the country.
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.
Other signatories are Mr Ogunsanya Rasheed, JCC Chairman Lagos; Mr Adai Pius, SUG President, Federal University of Agriculture; Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Noforija-Epe, Lagos State; Mr Nwafor Joshua, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki; and Rukkayya Yusuf, ABU Zaria, Kaduna State.
The communiqué reads in part:” 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 Nigeria.”
“Consequently, NANS with no hesitation declares 14 days Ultimatum for both ASUU and FGt to resolve their impasse to reopen our campuses or risk Mass Protest tagged #EndASUUStrike Nationwide.
“While the Government and ASUU have nothing to lose at the end of every strike, both salaries, promotions and other emoluments among others flows uninterrupted.
“Nigerian students are the greatest losers of the strike 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,” they recounted.
The students’ leaders observed that the continued strike was an organized crime against students’ career and educational pursuits, warning that #EndASUUStrike protest would have economic shut down as the major target.
The association lamented that the government had not earmarked meaningful budgetary allocation to the educator sector in line with the recommendation of UNESCO 26 per cent educational budgetary allocation.
This could be traced, according to the students’ Union, as the root cause of incessant strike by the Academic Staff Unions in all Nigeria tertiary institutions.
