The National Association of Nigerian Students has reacted to a statement credited to the Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu, where he suggested that Nigerian students affected by the Academic Staff Union of Universities strike must sue ASUU for liabilities suffered as a result of the strike.
NANS President, Comrade Sunday Asefon in a statement on Thursday said the students could not have sued ASUU whose members are employees of the Federal and State Governments, saying the students would use the council to ask the Federal Government to compensate the students for the wasted time.
He said, perhaps, the only thing Malam Adamu has gotten right since he became a Minister is a fact that Nigerian students needed to be compensated for their wasted time, opportunities and resources.
Asefon added, “However, the Minister is clever by half by suggesting ASUU should be held liable for the liabilities. ASUU is neither the proprietor of our tertiary institutions nor the beneficiary of the exorbitant fees we pay across our tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
“It is an abuse of intellect to suggest that students should sue employees for protesting bad working conditions and not the employer who is the proprietor of our schools and the beneficiary of the exorbitant school fees we pay.
“Since Nigerian students do not think like the Minister, since we can separate what is right from wrong, we will yield the advice of the Minister by exploring legal windows for compensation of our students for numerous liabilities suffered as a result of the incessant and prolonged ASUU strike.
“While our losses in terms of lost opportunities as a result of time wasted might not be quantifiable, our losses as regards private hostel accommodations payments, research work losses, foreign admission losses, extra year resulting to miss of NYSC service opportunity are liabilities that can be quantified and liabilities accounted.
“We have therefore decided to take the advice of the Minister and seek legal redress for the liabilities suffered. We will therefore consult with our legal advisers to see what options are available for us to explore legally against the Federal Government and the Minister of Education.
“We also call on ASUU to be considerate and put students’ interests into their consideration. ASUU trying to hold the nation to ransom is unpatriotic and self-serving.
“We, therefore, advise state government whose tertiary institutions are on strike should take every reasonable measure to ensure resumption of academic activities as the current strike should never have affected state universities. We will support the state government in any measure they deem fit to compel striking state university lecturers to resume work,” Asefon said.
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