NANS To FG: Avert Looming ASUU Strike, At All Cost

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has tasked the federal government to ensure that the looming strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is averted, at all cost.

In particular, NANS urged President Muhammadu Buhari to show a desire to address the various challenges bedevilling tertiary education in the country by implementing the Memoranda of Understanding it reached with the ASUU.

This is just as the students’ body enjoined the ASUU to also cooperate with the federal government to seek some compromise rather than declaring another industrial action.

Coordinator, NANS South-West, Mr Adegboye Olatunji made this appeal in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune.

Adegboye said the appeal became expedient bearing in mind the adverse effects of another industrial action especially that it made a mockery of the nation’s education system.

While urging the federal government to avert the planned industrial action, in the interim, the students’ body urged the government to meet the UNESCO recommendation of committing 26 percent of the nation’s budget to education so as to resolve the various challenges facing education, in the long run.

The statement read: “Presently, another Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) indefinite strike is staring us in the eye while the bitter taste of 2020 strike is still in our mouth.

“It is critical that President Muhammadu Buhari quickly work and walk the talk over education.

“President Buhari should demonstrate competence and proactiveness by solving the educational quagmire of the country. This can be achieved through the absolute implementation of the already signed MoU.

“Most importantly, the imminent ASUU strike must be averted at all cost while a more sustainable solution be proffered, analysed, adopted and implemented speedily by the presidency.

“This is expedient in order not to make mockery of our entire educational system.

“We also call on the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to cooperate with the Federal Government to find a more suitable resolution other than another industrial action.

“This should be keenly considered as another national academic shutdown will neutralize many of the sacrifices and efforts of our dear lecturers.”

“Despite diverse calls from different stakeholders, the Federal Government is yet to include the UNESCO’s recommendation of 26 percent of the national budget as an education fund.

“Secondly, the Federal Government has never achieved an exhaustive implementation of Memorandums of Understanding signed between the government and leadership of ASUU.

“Oftentimes, what usually transpires is the government looking to hurriedly avert an industrial action without being committed to terminating the root cause. Things may irredeemably fall apart if the usual ‘modus operandi’ is retained.”