By Felix Khanoba
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the Federal Government, to without further delay, resolve the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) or risk severe mass action by the students.
NANS President, Comrade Umar Faruk Lawal, who addressed a news conference on Thursday in Abuja, said the patience of students has been over-stretched, stressing government and ASUU should return to the negotiation table and resolve the impasse within days for students to return to their campuses.
Faruk said: “That Federal Government through Ministry of Education should within few working days resolve the lingering ASUU strike. As we shall mobilise our students towards occupying the ministry of education until our demands are met.”
He also demanded that the federal government should set visitation panels to address issues of all politically expelled and rusticated students while calling on stakeholders to ensure education is given the desired attention by increasing budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Education in order to meet up with the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) threshold.
He said: “While awaiting a formal inauguration of our executives, it is important to note that the existing economic and political situation cannot continue to linger as they remain the cardinal reason we ever aspired to lead this noble organisation.
“In the light of this, we shall not waste time in ensuring that our agenda is focused on ensuring students return back to school within the shortest possible period.
“The security situation in the country desires a more robust engagement with the view to engaging Nigerian Students in peace-building advocacies. This deserves urgent attention as the masses are already tired of the sorry state of affairs with respect to insecurity in Nigeria; thus a multi-stakeholder engagement through a non-kinetic approach has become inevitable,” Faruk said.
According to him, the lingering fuel crisis is not to be swept away easily as it keeps affecting the economic posture of Nigeria which is visible in the attendant hike in the price of, transportation, foodstuff, goods and services therefore a lasting solution is thereby required for the nation’s economy to grow and for the country to thrive in prosperity.
“There is rising unemployment that has affected the growth and development of Nigerian economy, thus it becomes important that government creates a conducive environment,” Faruk said.
He said, “ASUU has been on strike for almost eight 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 students’ patience has been stretched beyond its elastic limit and they have resolved to liberate themselves from the recurring effect of the industrial action by ASUU.”
