By The New Diplomat Intelligence desk
Following industrial action threats from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the parents under the auspices of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) have called on the Federal government to immediately weigh in on the matter and stop the planned closure of universities across the country.
The students appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to listen to the demands of ASUU to the proposed nationwide strike.
According to NANS, the planned industrial action is unacceptable and is capable of causing problems in the country.
The National President of NANS, Comrade Lucky Emonefe, who spoke with the press noted that students were always bearing the brunt in cases of industrial actions by university workers.
He said: “The government should listen to the lecturers and university workers generally. Some of the things the lecturers are complaining about are genuine.
“Look at the issue of the composition of Governing Councils for higher institutions in the country, many people who have no job being put into such positions were included. Such sensitive positions should be for technocrats in the education sector and academicians.
“Why would the government not honour an agreement it willingly entered into? Honour an agreement you signed.
“However, I would appeal to ASUU members to also give room for mediation and negotiation because, in the long run, all parties would still come to the table to talk. Let the parties give room for negotiation and mediation. Students are always at the receiving end of such fight between the sides and nobody wants to waste his or her precious time,” he said.
Also, the Deputy National President of NAPTAN, Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, who spoke with the press wondered why the government has yet to honour its promise to the workers.
According to Ogunbanjo, the incessant closure of universities is one of the reasons the schools are not faring well in global rankings.
He said: “The government should pay them and fulfil their obligations. When they went on strike the other time, part of what was agreed to make the workers suspend their action was that nobody would be victimized on account of the strike.
“So, if you are not paying them their dues, are you not victimizing the workers? If ASUU goes on strike, SSANU and NASU do so, the university system would collapse. The other time parents had to keep their children at home for about a session, which is not good for the system.
“Look at the recent global ranking of universities, the best-ranked university in the country was in about 1,000th position. All these incessant strikes are parts of the poor ranking of our universities. Government should just be alive to its responsibilities and avert another round of industrial disharmony, ” he noted.
The New Diplomat reports that ASUU had recently announced that it is in talks with its various zones across the country on the planned nationwide strike action.
The union across various branches issued a three-week ultimatum to the Federal Government over some outstanding demands.
The core issues that pertain to the condition of service include all the contending issues as contained in the FGN/ASUU MoU 2012/2013, and the MoA of 2017, the Illegal dissolution of Governing Councils in the Federal and State Universities, the release of three and a half months of the outstanding three and a half months withheld salaries for a work that was already done.
