University Students, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), South-West zone, blocked the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Tuesday to protest prolonged ASUU strike.
Commuters plying the ever-busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway had a hectic time as the students blocked the inbound and outbound sections of the expressway.
Addressing reporters during the protest, members of the association said the protest has become imperative in order to press home their demand for immediate resolution of the face-off between ASUU and the Federal Government.
They urged the Nigerian government to meet the demands of the striking lecturers to enable them to return to class.
A statement signed by the students’ movement PRO, Giwa Yisa and Zone D Coordinator, Adegboye Emmanuel Olatunji reads:
“We have started a major action today on ASUU Strike.
“There is no point arguing about who is at fault or what is to be done.
“It is very clear that the rulers underfund education and the Buhari government is failing in its promises to revamp education.
“As it is today, no higher institution in Nigeria is world class. Yet, our so-called public servants travel all over the world spending billions to send their kids abroad for studies.
“As major stakeholders in the educational sector, we are the ones who can save ourselves. We have monitored the yearnings of students from campus to campus through their social media platforms and also in their public writings.
“Students all over Nigeria stand with ASUU. Our lecturers suffer the same hardships and mal-developments we suffer.
“The staff houses are as bad as the students’ Hostels.
” In South Africa, a Professor’s Laboratory is far more equipped than that of any university in Nigeria.
“History has been killed and undermined so we the youths do not know where we are coming from not to talk of knowing where we are headed. But we will not lament anymore.
“The new leadership in NANS is here to work with students to achieve our set aims and objectives. We believe that the students’ movement has its space in history. It is a task for which we vow to fulfill. We will never let Nigerian students down!
“It is on this note that we declare Forth: We Stand with ASUU. We Call on ASUU leadership for a meeting as soon as possible to discuss solidarity actions, and plan for the next phase of the struggles.
“We pass a vote of No Confidence on both the Ministers of Labour and Education. We call for the proper funding of the educational sector as against what has been attainable in the past seven years.
“We call on the Buhari government to pay all outstanding arrears and salaries of the lecturers. The policy of “No Work No Pay” is a Fascist one; it’s therefore condemnable and non-acceptable to all the millions of students in Nigeria.
“We will, by this statement, not beg again. We will be mobilizing all students to Shut Down the country (without excluding the Presidential villa). No Education, no movement.”
The protesters were led by NANS Vice President, External Affairs, Akinteye Babatunde; Public Relations Officer, Giwa Yisa Temitope; Zone D Coordinator, Adegboye Emmanuel Olatunji; Deputy Senate President, Ekundina Elvis; Ondo JCC Chairman, Omotosho Surprise; Lagos JCC Chairman, Olusesi Tolulope Samson; Ogun JCC Chairman, Kehinde Damilola Simeon and Oyo JCC Chairman, Adeleke Quadri Abidemi.
Public universities in the country have been shut down for seven months since February 14 when ASUU embarked on its industrial action.
