ASUU Strike: Outcome of NANS Meeting, Other Strategies Revealed

• The nation's educational body, ASUU members have threatened to take their demands to another level by taking to the street
• In a recent interview with Legit.ng, NANS president, Comrade Sunday Asefon disclosed plans are underway by the union to meet with governors and other important stakeholders
• Meanwhile, the federal government had insisted that UTAS, having failed the required tests, was unfit to be used as a payment platform

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), met via a zoom meeting on Monday, March 15, 2022.

The meeting attended by zonal coordinators and other students across the country ended after a firm resolution was adopted by the union leader on how to counter government and ASUU in order to end the ongoing strike.

Revealing the outcome of the meeting exclusively to Legit.ng, NANS president, Comrade Sunday Asefon said the union, after a painstaking deliberation resolved to contact former NANS leaders who are currently in government as their final move before they return to the streets again in protest.

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EXCLUSIVE: We'll occupy Abuja streets if ASUU strike continues, says NANS president

Union agreement

He said the union agreed that the likes of Senator Smart Adeyemi, Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shuibu, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, Luke Onofiok, Comrade Dan Onjeh, and a host of other former NANS leadership, who are holding various political positions in government would first be contacted before it takes further step regarding the extension of the ongoing ASUU strike by 8 weeks.

Asefon said:

“We will be calling on them. We want to give them the responsibility between now and next week Wednesday to meet with the Acting President, who is a former lecturer, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to see what he can do to ensure that this strike is called off immediately, while the committee inaugurated by the federal government are doing their job.”

His position

Asefon, however, said that if the government fails to listen to their former leaders is not listened to by both the government and ASUU, they will have no other option but a massive invasion of the streets nationwide, with particular emphasis on Abuja.

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BREAKING: ASUU extends strike, gives duration of action

FG's position

The NANS president expressed disappointment over the handling of the issue by the government, insisting that the government and ASUU are taking Nigerian students for granted.

He lamented that it’s unbelievable that ASUU extended the strike for another 8 weeks, forcing Nigerian students to stay at home for a semester.

ASUU earlier declaration

Recall that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, had declared a month warning strike over the Nigerian government’s inability to meet the agreement it had with the union.

During the one-month warning strike, Nigerian students had engaged the government and ASUU in a protest, shutting down major cities in the country.

After the expiration of the warning strike, ASUU, again extended the strike for another 2 months, leading to serious concern among Nigerian students.

ASUU strike: FG gives newly inaugurated committee deadline to resolve crisis

The committee inaugurated for the renegotiation of the ASUU/FG agreement of 2009 had been tasked with resolving the issues causing strike actions within the next three months.

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Strike: ASUU announces date for NEC meeting, reveals next line of action

The mandate was handed to members of the committee by the minister of education Adamu Adamu on Monday, March 7.

Adamu said the committee is also expected to submit a report on its activities and developed workable terms at the expiration of the deadline.

ASUU strike: Minister Ngige meets Buhari, reveals how much FG has paid lecturers so far

The industrial strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had resulted in a meeting between the president and Chris Ngige.

The minister of labour and employment said lecturers have been paid a total of N97.2 billion since the agreement with ASUU.

Ngige added that the Nigerian government is not opposed to the payment of good salaries and emoluments to university lecturers.

Source: Legit.ng