By Ngozi Nwankwo
Sequel to the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities,ASUU strike, the National Association of Nigerian Students has threatened that if the Federal Government refused to resolve the differences and call off the strike, students will have no option than to occupy the Ministry of Education.
The President of NANS,Comrade Umar Faruk Lawal gave the warning at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
Faruk said the Nigerian Students’ patience has be stretched beyond elastic limit and have resolved to liberate themselves from the recurring effect of the industrial action by ASUU.
“Academic Staff Union of Universities,ASUU,has been on strike for almost 8 months, the academic calendar cannot be used as a parameter for years of studies anymore as students keep suffering from the long term effect of the strike. The Nigerian Student’s patience has be stretched beyond its elastic limit and have resolved to liberate themselves from the recurring effect of the industrial action by ASUU,” he said.
The President said the union’s agenda is to return the organisation to the campus which has always been the original operational base for NANS
Other agenda include: to reintroduce Academic Reforms,ACAREF,struggle in honour of Late Moses Oisakede to generate discourse for educational development in Nigeria; and to
develop a framework for lasting peace on our campuses.
The Union therefore demanded that
federal Government through Ministry of Education should within seven working days resolve the lingering ASUU Strike, adding that refusal to d so, NANS would mobilise students towards occupying the ministry of education until their demands are met.
NANS said federal Government should set visitation panels to address issues of all politically expelled and rusticated students and that all stakeholders of education should be engaged in ensuring education is given the desired attention by increment of budgetary allocation to Ministry of Education in order to meet up with UNESCO recommendation.
