The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has given the federal government a 21 day ultimatum to grant the requests of the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
ASUU commenced an indefinite nationwide strike on Sundayfollowing Federal Government’s failure to fulfill the 2009 agreement made with the union.
While announcing the commencement of the strike, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, President of the union
said the decision to embark on the industrial action was resolved at its emergency National Executive Council meeting held on Aug. 12.
According to him, during the strike, “there shall be no teaching, no examination and no attendance of statutory meetings of any kind in any of our branches till government meets the union’s demands “.
But in its reaction to the development, NANS national president, Mr Chinonso Obasi, while calling on the federal government to look at the demands of the lecturers said students would bring all activities to a halt if the government did not act fast.
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He said NANS would meet with the leadership of ASUU to find out what was the irreducible minimum in their demands.
The group called on the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, attend to the needs of the lecturers in the best interest of the long suffering Nigerian students.
NANS statement reads in part: “It is with deep pain and regret that NANS received the news of another indefinite strike by ASUU over the Federal Government’s indifference to their plight.
“Nigerian students sees the< breakdown in negotiations as a further proof that political leaders don’t care about their future.
“Consequently, we wish to call on the Federal Government to do all it can to get ASUU back to the classrooms.
“The demands of ASUU are reasonable and touch on the integrity of government, especially in the light of the fight against corruption.”
