ASUU: NANS vows to go ahead with airport’s protest despite Gbajabiamila’s intervention

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Sunday reacted to a purported move by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to meet with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the lingering strike.

Gbajabiamila had in a letter signed by the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Danzarta, and addressed to the President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke, lamented the failed negotiations between the Federal Government and the union.

He requested to meet with the union on Tuesday.

However, in a statement issued by the Chairman of the National Task Force on #EndASUUStrikeNow, Ojo Raymond, the student body said the proposed meeting would not change its plan to stage a nationwide protest at airports.

NANS also raised an alarm about a purported plan to attack students during the protest.

The statement read: “As much as we welcome the dialogue for Tuesday, we insist that the second phase of our action targetted at shutting down all international airports throughout the country continues. In fact, someone like Gbajabiamila should also come out to address the students.

READ ALSO: Ooni promises to dedicate seven-day seclusion for resolution of govt-ASUU dispute, 2023 elections

“And, we have also been duly informed of the plan of the government to attack us with both state and non-state actors. But, we want to state for the whole world to hear that if any student is attacked in the cause of the protest, someone like Gbajabiamila and his meeting will be discredited.

“Any attack on our protest would be a contravention and an assault on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, 1981, a treaty-turned-Act which does not accommodate derogation in any form, and Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) which provided for Right to Freedom of Association and Assembly.

“It is on this note that we are calling on the international community to pay strict attention to our protest as we start a new phase tomorrow (Monday).

“We also call on all students to find their way to all the nearest barricades at the airports tomorrow as we shut down the country until President Muhammadu Buhari’s government ends the ASUU strike by paying our lecturers and acceding to all the cardinal demands of ASUU as they are geared towards revamping our education at all levels.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now