The South-West zone of the National Association of
Nigerian Students (NANS) has justified and declared
support for the on-going strike embarked upon by the
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Amidst calls for the resumption of academic activities in the
nation’s public universities which were closed down as a result of
the global COVID-19 pandemic, ASUU has declared that its members
won’t resume until government meets its demands.
The student leaders said the government must address the issues
of lack of public address systems, interactive boards, epileptic
Internet facilities, outdated library resources, outdated
laboratories, over-crowded hostels affecting most public
universities.
Coupled with the ASUU demands for better remuneration and
infrastructural facilities, NANS declared that government needs to
invest more in the educational sector.
They added that the government must respond to all the demands
plus put facilities for safe reopening in place before students can
resume.
The statement read in parts, “Students across the country
must know that the strike action of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) is justifiable and we need a proper integration
to foster a successful outcome.
NANS in a joint statement signed by the Chairmen of the
association in the six states of the zone: Opakunle Oluwafunmibi,
Busari Adelaja, Agbogunleri Seun, Raji Sobur, Bamgbose Tomiwa, and
Akinteye Babatunde said the demands by ASUU were legitimate.
As an association, we wish to establish our position as
following with close marking, the demands of ASUU as the union is
one part of our academic world and, an injury to one, they say, is
an injury to all. Hence, standing on the principle of solidarity,
we state categorically that our thoughts are aligned with the
demands of ASUU.
“It needs to be stated that a government that allocates a
ridiculous percentage of the annual budget into the educational
sector owes the Nigerian masses an explanation as to why the sector
has been left in shambles while the government is consistently
spending massively on irrelevancies.
“The way-forward remains for our government to invest
massively in our educational system and restructure our science
departments from theories to research-oriented
departments.
“With proper analysis as to what has brought about the ASUU
strike that might seem ceaseless in years past, we are not
unfamiliar with several disgraceful learning environments and
learning facilities across our institutions.
It is on record that over 80 per cent of our higher
institutions does not have Public Address Systems, Interactive
Boards, etc. while many are battling with epileptic or non-existing
Internet Services, a library of no or less automation, outdated
library resources have been the active facilities that our tertiary
institutions pride themselves of.
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“How will such institutions take steps into holding online
classes which the Federal Government has ingloriously directed
management of higher institutions of learning across the country to
commence?
“Advanced countries of the world are drafting students in
the medical laboratory and pharmaceutical-related fields in
research efforts at finding the cause of this deadly virus and the
vaccine for its treatment and cure. The reason such is not being
done here in Nigeria cannot be far-fetched because, we are a
country with depleted libraries, outdated laboratories,
over-crowded insanitary hostels with plummeting academic standards
that have reduced our tertiary institutions to inglorious secondary
schools churning out medical graduates with little or no laboratory
experience.
“We are concerned that students should not just be made to
sit at home doing nothing. And, we must state categorically that
the conditions we are here to table to government at all levels are
not beyond what the government can meet considering the resources
at our disposal as a country. The fact that the government is not
talking about these things is just a clear case of irresponsibility
and unpreparedness on the part of our ruling class which we frown
at.
“Without mincing words, education is the bedrock of any
civilization, it is therefore disheartening that our governments
are showing a lack of resolve to make our schools resume.
“Furthermore, it is important to call the attention of the
Nigerian government to the fact that most countries of the world
have tactically resolved the issue of learning during the pandemic
by putting certain measures in place. The Nigerian government must
also emulate their counterparts and with immediate effect, make
necessary provisions to ensure the resumption of academic
activities in our educational institutions.”
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari on
Thursday declared that only members of ASUU that have been
registered on the IPPIS platform will be paid
their salaries.
He noted this during the presentation of the 2021 national
budget estimates before a joint sitting of National Assembly
members on Thursday.
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