Education
THE National Association of Nigerian Students has appealed to the Federal Government to intervene in the ongoing strike embarked by the Joint Action Committee of the Non-academic staff union of Nigerian universities.
Mr Aruna Kadiri, NANS President made the appealed at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.
The associations that makeup JAC include the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, National Association of Academic Technologists, and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities.
It would be recalled that unions embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike on Dec 10, 2017 over non-implementation of agreement entered with the Federal Government in 2009 and 2017.
“We are urging the Federal Government as a matter of urgency within 14 days to do the needful for JAC (SSASNU, NASU and NAAT) to suspend the industrial action.
“Failure to comply with our demands will lead to mass mobilisation of Nigerian students and union leaders to occupy the streets of Abuja.
“We are also urging JAC to shift ground so as to see a final solution to the impasse as when two elephants fight it is the grass that suffers.
“We also want to appeal to the leadership of JAC to look into institutions that have peculiar cases which are about to start exams and backwardness in academic calendar and temper justice with mercy.
“As anything that will distract the exams will affect the academic calendar of most institutions that are academically backwards as well as the students’ academic performances,” he said.
Kadiri also said that the association frowned with dismay over the insincerity of government in handling the labour crisis in the Nigerian universities that had led to the loss of lives of students and property.
He added that the ongoing strike had caused more harm.
He listed one of the harms to include the inability of students that had been mobilised for NYSC to get their testimonials to report for camp, for example, University of Jos.
According to him, students are becoming idle at home due to some universities that are totally shut down, adding that the students now indulge in all sorts of social vices at home.
“Institutions that are about writing exams are now under threat by non-teaching staff of such institutions.
“That is why we are pleading with the government and the unions to shift ground, ‘’he said.
He further called on the Nigerian students to be patient and also show solidarity in the struggle to call off the strike. – Punch
– Jan. 29, 2018 @ 18:30 GMT
Tags: Mr Aruna Kadiri National Association of Nigerian Students Non-Academic Staff Union Students beg FG to intervene in SSANU NASU NAAT strike University of Jos
