The National Association of Nigerian Students says the declared comprehensive, total and indefinite strike declared by the Members of Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU, is not in the interest of our nation nor the tertiary education system of Nigeria
NANS also called on the Federal government to investigate the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities with the aim of unraveling their motivation for what the students described as insistence on collapsing the public university system in Nigeria.
NANS made these calls in a statement signed and made available to Journalists in Abuja by it President,Comrade Sunday Asefon.
The Student Association said it considered ASUU’s decision as not only unpatriotic, unnecessary but wicked and definitely not in the interest of Nigeria nor the tertiary education system of the country.
According to the statement, ” we have taken the time to review the decision of ASUU to declare an indefinite strike after the ongoing six-month strike we consider the decision not only unpatriotic, unnecessary but wicked and definitely not in the interest of our nation nor the tertiary education system in Nigeria”
“such a decision was easy for ASUU because many of their leaders do not have their wards in public universities and still keep employment at various private universities around the country and as such not affected by their attempt to collapse the sector for their selfish and inconsiderate gains”
Previous Strike
NANS decry ASUU’s action saying ASUU has ulterior motive which is to collapse university education system in Nigeria and systematically promote Private Universities .
“ASUU has succeeded initially to masquerade their strike action as an action in the interest of the tertiary education system in Nigeria and in the interest of the teeming Nigerian students, events of recent weeks have therefore made it abundantly clear that ASUU has an ulterior motive which is to collapse university education system in Nigeria and systematically promote Private Universities where many of them have their children, stakes and perhaps where they receive payment for the job of collapsing public universities in Nigeria”
NANs described the refusal of ASUU to call off the over six month old strike as “educational terrorism” and economic sabotage .
It called on government to act fast in putting an end to the lingering crisis.
According to NANS, “the declaration of the indefinite strike after virtually all ASUU demands had been met must be considered an act of educational terrorism and economic sabotage, government must act fast and be ruthless in dealing with anyone found culpable to serve as deterrence to others who might want to hold the nation at ransom and perpetuate systemic terror attack on the nation”
NANS further condemned the insistence of ASUU to be paid it’s six months arrears.
“We condemned totality the insistence of ASUU on payment of six months’ arrears for the entire period of the strike before they can call off the strike”
“This demand is not only insensitive; it is selfish, inconsiderate, and uncharitable. The six months are periods of no work, we, therefore, encourage the government to use every available legal window available to it and ensure that ASUU does not kill our tertiary education system”
NANs further called on State Government to liaise with Vice-Chancellors of state institutions to announce the resumption of academic activities and grant the Vice-Chancellors authority to enforce the resumption as state universities should never have joined the strike in the first place.
The Association also called on the government to “maintain its position as an employer and use its power to hire and fire effectively at this time to save our education system from the total collapse planned by ASUU”.
“we therefore, plead with ASUU leadership in state institutions that had been so ridiculed and labeled quacks by the National President of ASUU to toe the path of honour and save their institutions from the verge of total collapse by calling off the strike”
