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Leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students from all the universities across the South-East region on Friday protested the over three-month strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, in Enugu State.
The umbrella body of the lecturers in public universities across Nigeria had on February 14, 2022, declared a four-week national strike to, among other things, force the Federal Government to review upward the salaries of Nigerian university academics.
Irate students, who took to the streets on Friday to protest, however, gave the government one week to resolve all the issues that led to the strike of ASUU, otherwise, they would be forced to shut down all political activities across the country.
The student leaders, led by the South-East Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Ibeabuchi Onyia, had converged at New Heaven by Naira Triangle Roundabout at about 12:30 pm and marched peacefully through Enugu-Abakaliki to Akanu Ibiam International Airport roundabout.
They also carried placards with various inscriptions like “we are tired of staying at home, we want to go back to school”, “Governor should use N80 billion the Accountant-General stole to settle ASUU,” ” #FG/ASUU we want to graduate”, “FG your students are suffering, four-year course now six-year course. End ASUU strike now,” among others.
Addressing journalists at the Airport roundabout, Emene, Comrade Onyia warned the Federal Government to end the strike within one week, adding that Nigerian students were no longer going to keep quiet.
He said that the All Progressives Congress-led government was a fraud and had paid little or no interest to lingering the strike because they want to use the students for thuggery in the forthcoming elections.
“They have stolen the country dry to contest for various political positions in 2023 but if they don’t resolve the strike issues we are going to make sure they have it hot.
“We are not relenting on this, we are ready to die for this. It is either the strike is suspended or the Federal Government tells us what they have for us.
“We came to the airport because that is where the elites and decision-makers can see us and hear us. If the FG and ASUU don’t resolve and call off the strike before Friday, next week, we will move all the students from across the South-East to occupy the airport for one week,” he said.
Also speaking, the chairman, Joint Campus Committee, NANS, Enugu State chapter, Comrade Emmanuel Obi, said “We are on the road because we are tired of the tussle between ASUU and Federal Government. After we have spent two months at home, ASUU extended the strike action by three months.
“What it means is that we, the students, will be at home for five months doing nothing. You know that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. We are tired of this nonsense between ASUU and the FG which has threatened our future. They should allow us to go back to our schools,” he said.
