Following the extension of the three-month Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUU) strike earlier today, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has ordered students to block major roads and airports in all 36 states of the country.
The association president, Sunday Asefon, condemned the three-month extension by ASUU and described it as a declaration of war on university students. He noted that the government has no empathy for the plight of citizens who can’t afford private tertiary institutions.
According to him, the protest tagged operation test run is slated to begin tomorrow in all 36 states in the country.
“Having exhausted all windows of constructive engagement with the government. I, on behalf of the national leadership of NANS, therefore, declare National Action from tomorrow 10th. The National Actions is tagged “Operation Test Run” Operation Test Run shall be held in all 36 States of the Federation. Federal Roads across the 36 States shall be occupied for a minimum of 3hrs.”
“The Operation shall be a precursor to a total shutdown that will be decided during our Senate meeting/pre-convention on Saturday 14th May 2022. Our decision from the pre-convention shall be binding. The action shall be total as the extension of the ASUU strike is a direct declaration of war by the Federal Government against university students in Nigeria.” He said
He further disclosed that the may 10th protest which will continue to 14th will lead to the blockage of airport roads, and disruption of political activities. He stressed that the national assembly will be blocked until a law restricting office holders from sending their children to foreign universities is made.
He called on labour unions in the country to support the protest adding that it is a call to savage the remaining crackers of our public tertiary education in Nigeria.
ASUU on Feb 14, embarked on strike action, shutting down all public universities and forcing students to stay at home. They are demanding that the government implement the Memorandum of Action (MoA) it signed with the Union in December 2020 on renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and also the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS),.
Other reason for their strike action includes: Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), funding for revitalization of public universities (both Federal and States), proliferation and governance issues in State Universities, promotion arrears, withheld salaries (owed for over 20 months in some cases), and Non-remittance of third-party deductions.