Nigerian Students Blast ASUU, FG Over Strike, Threaten Protest

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has knocked the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over their inability to reach an agreement which has resulted in industrial action by ASUU.

NANS, in a statement Monday by its President, Asefon Sunday Adedayo, threatened to embark on a nationwide protest to force lecturers back to class.

ASUU had declared a four-week strike effective from Monday, February 14, 2022, to protest the government’s failure to implement its agreement with the union.

The President of ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, at a press briefing in Lagos, said the union tried to avoid the strike but that the federal government was not responsive to its demands.

Osodeke said the forceful payment of ASUU members’ salaries and emoluments with the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and non-adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) have continued to short-change the union members. 

Other issues raised by the union included failure to release the white paper many months after the visitation panels to universities submitted their reports; non-payment of outstanding Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), illegal withholding of payment of EAA to union members at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife as well as victimisation of academics in state universities.

The NANS president blamed both the government and ASUU for the industrial action, saying the student body expected both parties to reach a compromise and do all that was required to avert the strike.

He said, “The government and ASUU, by this action, send a direct message to Nigerian students to also take position comfortable for our side of the table irrespective of the implications.

“Let me say equivocally that we will respond in clear language, the language the oppressors understand.”

He said NANS’ collective response to the strike action would be made known at its congress scheduled for February 17.

He further said, “Our decisions shall be decisive, collective, and irreversible until the strike is called off. We shall fight this impunity and recklessness without any consideration other than an immediate end to this strike.” 

-Dailytrust