The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed deep concern over the recent threat by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to embark on a fresh nationwide strike over unresolved issues with the Federal Government.
NANS President, Comrade Olushola Oladoja, while reacting to the development in a statement jointly signed by the National Public Relations Officer of NANS, Comrade Samson Adeyemi on Friday in Abuja, called on the Federal Government to take concrete steps in addressing all the demands of the lecturers to avoid another prolonged strike that would adversely affect the students in universities in Nigeria.
Oladoja said NANS recognizes the legitimate grievances raised by ASUU, which include the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, outstanding salary arrears, withheld promotions, and the welfare of retired lecturers.
“While these demands are germane, NANS believes that the path of dialogue must not be abandoned, as any industrial action will inflict irreparable damage on Nigerian students who are always at the receiving end,” he stated.
The NANS President noted that one of the greatest achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the establishment of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which has already started easing access to higher education, and the maintenance of an uninterrupted academic calendar for over two years, stressing “these gains must be protected at all cost”.
Oladoja insisted that the Federal Government must, therefore, do everything humanly possible to sustain this progress by attending to ASUU’s demands with all sense of urgency and sincerity.
On the other hand, he appealed to ASUU to demonstrate patriotism by jettisoning its planned strike while sustaining dialogue with the government.
“Nigerian students cannot afford another round of avoidable disruption to their academic pursuits”.
“NANS, therefore, calls on both the Federal Government and ASUU to prioritize the future of Nigerian students, resolve all pending issues through genuine dialogue, and safeguard the stability of the nation’s tertiary education system,” Oladoja stated.
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