The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to personally intervene in the lingering crisis involving the university lecturers and the Federal Government in order to ensure early resolution.
The student’s body has accordingly, issued a two-week ultimatum to both the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), within which to resolve the impasse or face the anger of the over 40 million students.
NANS President, Comrade Aruna Kadiri, who spoke on Tuesday while leading a peaceful protest on the streets of Abuja over the indefinite strike embarked by ASUU, warned that the students would not hesitate to resort to picketing and violent protest if the strike lingers above the two weeks ultimatum.
He warned that the students would no longer watch their future aspirations being jeopardized by uncanny attitude of leaders and people who are supposed to mould the lives of the youth.
Kediri, submitted a copy of letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, articulating the demands of the students and urging him to take urgent steps to resolve the crisis, to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Sunday Echono, for onward transmission to the President through the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.
The NANS President, also urged the belligerent lecturers to keep their options very open while insisting on its rights.
Kadiri, acknowledged that most of the issues at dispute also affect the students and improvement of qualify education, suggesting that the leadership of NANS should be included in ASUU’s team, even as an observer in the discussions with the Federal government.
He warned that the students would resort to picketing and violent unrest if the university students remain at home after two weeks from today (yesterday).
A copy of the petition to the President, made available newsmen, reads in part: “We write to respectively but firmly forward to Your Excellency, the demands of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on the ugly face-off between the Federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities resulting in a strike by ASUU and subsequent closure of our universities.
“The students of the universities are suffering again. It has become an embarrassing culture.
“That we appreciate the numerous challenges faced by the federal government, and salute its uncommon Frankness in accepting that it defaulted in meeting with its agreement with ASUU.
“That we welcome the efforts made so far by both parties to resolve the issue, but frown both at the failure of the federal government to formally respond to the alleged letter sent to it by ASUU and ASUU’s subsequent refusal to use the opportunity of the August 29, 2017 meeting with the federal government to extract a response to the letter and push the discussion forward.
“That this discussional rigmarole and perambulating may be serving some fantastic bureaucratic purposes, but are completely an inexcusable disservice to our socially suffocated members who have not only been idling at home since August 14, 2017 when this strike began.
“Our members have lost several months of their academic career, with its accompanying negative consequences due to incessant university industrial actions.
“That today’s peaceful protest by NANS is just a part of its own continued engagement with both parties.
“Consequently, we hereby demand that the Federal government should do everything within its powers to ensure a quick resolution of the impasse.
“That if after 2-week both parties are not able to resolve the issues, the students under NANS shall embark on mass action to call global attention to the numerous plights of the Nigerian students.
“It is our hope that as responsible parties, the federal government and ASUU would take urgent steps to resolve the issue.
The Permanent Secretary, Mr Echono, who received the students on half of the Minister of Education, assured that efforts were on to ensure immediate resolution of the dispute.
He said the Federal government was pained and deeply concerned that the students were sent home because of the strike action by ASUU.
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