Factional President of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Umar Faruk Lawal, has called on the Federal Government to resolve the lingering Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike within few days, saying failure to do so will attract mobilisation of students to occupy the Ministry of Education until their demands are met.
Lawal said Nigerian students’ patience had been stretched beyond limit and they had resolved to liberate themselves from the recurring effects of the industrial action by ASUU.
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Speaking at a briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Lawal also asked the government to set up visitation panels to address issues of all politically expelled and rusticated students.
Lawal, who maintained that he was duly elected by the Excos of Nigerian students to represent the affairs of the students, extended peace offer to the rival group and urged that all stakeholders should be engaged to ensure education is given the desired attention.
He said, “There should be increment of budgetary allocation to Ministry of Education in order to meet up with UNESCO recommendation.
“We are giving the Federal Government an ultimatum. We will mobilise students towards occupying the ministry of education until our demands are met. We also call on the Federal Government to set up visitation panels to address issues of all politically expelled and rusticated students.
“We also want all stakeholders of education to ensure they they be engaged in ensuring that education is given the desired attention by increment of budgetary allocation to ministry of education in order to meet up with the UNESCO recommendation.”
Speaking further, another NANS member, Adediwura Adeshina, also noted that the association would meet with student leaders across the country to ensure that arrangements were made as regards the planned protest.
“As the Senate President of the association, we will also be working alongside with all the presidents of the students’ unions across the country. We can not give you the date yet but you can be rest assured that we will meet and we will storm the ministry.”
According to him, his agenda is to return the organization to the campus, which had always been the original operational base for NANS and to also reintroduce Academic Reform (ACAREF) struggle in honour of Late Moses Oisakede to generate discourse for educational development in Nigeria.
On the state of the nation, he said: “The security situation in the country desires a more robust engagement with the view to engaging Nigerian students in peace building advocacies, this deserves urgent attention as the masses are already tired of the sorry state of affairs with respect.”
“The lingering fuel crisis is not to be swept away easily as it keeps affecting the economic posture of Nigeria, which is visible in the attendant hike in price of transportation, food, goods and services, therefore a lasting solution is thereby required for our economy to grow and for our nation to thrive in prosperity.”
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