Strike: NANS backs ASUU, asks FG to pay N50bn revitalisation funds

THE National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed its dissatisfaction over the refusal of the Federal Government to implement the latest agreement made with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), saying members of the apex students’ governing body are fed up staying idle at home.

The National Public Relations Officer of the group, Mr Okereafor Bestman Opeyemi, who is a student of University of Ibadan, told Nigerian Tribune, on Wednesday, that it was disheartening that the last meeting between the federal government and ASUU on Monday was inconclusive despite the series of plea by the association to both parties to shield their swords.

He said NANS had studied the outcome of the meeting, widely consulted and also consolidated on the over two months old strike that has kept them away from classrooms and now left with no option than to use what he called Option ‘Third C’(Aluta), which he said would be confrontational.

He said NANS had now come to a conclusion that Federal Government is now deliberately attempting to use ASUU strike to disenfranchise many Nigerian students in the forthcoming general elections and that they would completely resist such plan.

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Okerafor explained that many of them registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within the campus environments with the calculation that they would perform their civic responsibilities by casting their votes there during elections.

“But those that are affected could no go back to school as of today to collect their permanent voters’ cards and yet, we don’t know when we are going back to school and how then, do we participate in the elections without voters cards?” he queried.

Based on this development, he pointed out, NANS presidency had directed the leadership in the largest zone of NANS, which he named ZONE ‘B’to resist the continued strike by relocating the secretariat of NANS to the River Niger Bridge on the 30th of January if the government refuses to do the needful by then.

“Other zones will join in the confrontational struggle until ASUU called off the strike and students go back to campuses,” he added.

So, NANS is joining its voice with ASUU in calling on the Federal Government to consider replacing Wale Babalakin with immediate effect as the head of the renegotiation team.

According to him, this is because the team is yet to yield any fruitful result since inaugurated many years ago. We want a quality education.