ASUU strike: NANS fixes date to shutdown Nigeria in massive protest

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to embark on a nationwide protest on March 28 if the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the federal government did not reach a compromise for the strike to be suspended.

A statement issued by NANS president, Sunday Ashefon on Thursday advised  the Federal Government and ASUU, in their best interests, to reach a compromise between now and Monday, March 28, 2022 or risk its unprecedented fury.

 

“We hope the time between now and March 28 will afford our influential past leaders the window of opportunity to lobby their friends in government to see the danger our collective rage will cause the nation,” the body said.

NANS said the National Assembly should also do everything possible within this time to end the strike.

It added that since they rejected the bill prohibiting public officers from sending their wards to institutions abroad, they have the mandate to make public institutions work and that now that they are failing in that responsibility, the public would respond appropriately.

“Should the strike continue after our ultimatum, students across the country will resume to the new university created by the Federal Government and ASUU called ‘The University of the Street’, with main campus on the Airport Road, annex campuses in all the major roads in Abuja and Distance Learning Centres in all the federal roads across the 36 states of the federation,” NANS said.

NANS urged the students to bring their mattresses and cooking utensils while resuming in their new campus in Abuja and all the designated campuses across the country.

The association also passed a vote of no confidence in the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; and his counterpart in the Ministry of Education, Adamu Adamu, to continue to lead the government’s negotiation team.

The body said they were either incompetent to engage productively with ASUU at the highest level or they lackEd the goodwill and trust to build consensus and find an amicable resolution.”