BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, ABUJA – Concerned about the negative impact of incessant strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency convoke an Education Stakeholders summit to find lasting solution to the challenges militating against the sector.
The students’ body note that the ASUU strike is affecting only the chances of the less privileged to grow to the peak of their career, stressing that it is no gain saying that the students currently at home are those of the downtrodden in the society.
NANS said the summit would critically address the issues with a view to proffering lasting solutions to the myriad of challenges militating against smooth operation of tertiary education in the country particularly the lingering strikes by ASUU.
This was as it equally appealed to members of ASUU to wade in and listen to the Government in the overall best Interest of the Nigerian Students.
NANS which stated these at a press conference at the Secretariat of the Students Union Government (SUG) of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, noted that strike in Nigerian Universities is becoming a norm with successive governments including the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for failing to meet the demands and fulfilling the 2008 agreement signed by the Federal Government and the ASUU.
National Director of Administration and strategy of NANS, Prince Mohammed Sani Hassan, told journalists that said that the strikes has continue to hurt the students and their parents who laboured very hard and in the end have little in their pockets to take care of the needs of their respective children in Nigerian Universities.
Hassan further said; “It is on the light of the above that, ASUU Strike seem to be a festival in Nigeria that happens every year leaving the consequences directly on the students to bear.
“It is an unarguable discussion that a four year course now takes not less than seven to eight years for a Nigerian Student who is battling tooth and nail to survive in the current economic realities.
“The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education under the able supervision of Mallam Adamu Adamu and the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige should ensure compliance to the earlier adopted agreement.
“The Government and ASUU are stakeholders and at the same time, team players in this game that has caused this Government its reputation in the Education Sector having been pro-ASUU in the past.
“We are yet to come out from the negative effects of the similar action of last year as this strike is never expected to end soon. We all saw what happened last year when this kind of strike occurred where the Federal Government and ASUU ended it at a roundtable.
“The Government must know that Education is a right of every Nigerian child hence it is to be prioritized to secure the future of the nation amidst the increasing Insecurity,” he said.
