University students under the aegis of the National Association of University Students said they had run out of patience as a result of the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The students said they would express their displeasure with the lingering strike by embarking on a nationwide protest starting from Tuesday. They said their first point of protest would be at the National Assembly Complex , followed by the Office of the Ministry of Education , and thereafter that of the Ministry of Labour and Employment .
In a letter dated October 13, 2020 by the Senate of NAUS , a body comprising the presidents of the Students ’ Union Government of various universities, the association said students had stayed “ for too long ” at home and therefore demanded an immediate end to the strike .
The letter was co- signed by the Senate President of NAUS , Ibrahim Lawal ; Deputy Senate President , Asiwaju Ajibowu; and the Clerk , Gbande Abraham.
Speaking with our correspondent on the upcoming protest, Lawal said it was because the government failed to respond to a letter NAUS wrote to enquire what efforts were being made to end the prolonged strike.
He said , “ We are inviting all students to come out and protest because we have overstayed at home, and education is important . In August, we wrote a letter to the Minister of Education [ Mallam Adamu Adamu ] on the reopening of schools. We asked what efforts were in place to end the ASUU strike . But the minister has not responded to our letter for over two months . We have been patient enough to hear from the minister and he has refused to respond . We are tired.
“ So recently , we had an emergency virtual meeting which had in attendance all SUG presidents from the various universities, in which we all agreed to embark on a nationwide protest.
“ Hence , on Tuesday, we are starting the protest . We are convening on the National Assembly Complex . Then on the subsequent days , we are going to the offices of the ministries of education , and labour and employment. We want our voices will be heard . As I ’ m speaking with you , students from universities in Maiduguri , Kano, and others are coming to Abuja . So we mean business ; we want the government to end the strike . ”
ASUU had embarked on an indefinite strike since March over the Federal Government ’ s failure to keep to the 2019 Memorandum of Action , and over the lingering crisis on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System .
The five contentious issues in the 2019 MoA are : revitalisation fund for universities, outstanding earned academic allowances , renegotiation of the 2009 agreement , the proliferation of universities particularly by state governments , and the establishment of visitation panels to universities.
Meanwhile , there have been reports of progress made as the Federal Government and ASUU continue to dialogue . Another meeting between the two bodies is scheduled for Wednesday.
