ASUU, ASUP Strike: Students plan anti-government protests ... Say NANS should wake up As activities across universities and polytechnics nationwide continues to remain grounded following the commencement of indefinite strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Academic Staff Unions of Polytechnics (ASUP), students and youth movements are gearing up for mass anti government protests and rallies to support the striking union. Peoples Daily Weekend gathered yesterday that the protest would be held simultaneously in Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Kano, Abuja, Kaduna and Owerri. A source in the planning committee said, “we have met with other student movements and we want to avert 2011 ASUU strike, you know ASUP has been ongoing for months and government has not resolved the issue, now we are mobilizing serious mass actions because that is the only language our government understands.” The source said contacts are been established with other civil societies, university unions and the Nigeria Labour Congress to participate in the protests. Meanwhile students under the auspice of Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has fully backed the decision of the Union to embark on an indefinite strike following Federal Government’s persistent refusal to fully implement the FGN/ASUU agreement signed since 2009. The students called on the government to meet ASUU’s demands immediately. ERC National Coordinator, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, in a statement, said the fact that ASUU strike is coming on the heels of several industrial actions already racking the education sector such as the National Union of Teachers (NUT) strike and particularly the nationwide strike of ASUP and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) which has lasted for more than 70 days, there is nowhere else to lay the blame than the doorsteps of the government. “It is very unfortunate that nothing is being heard from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). This gives the wrong impression that perhaps students have no grievances or demands to put on the table. Meanwhile students bear the brunt of government anti-poor policies of education underfunding and commercialisation. Nearly 10 students have been killed by the police this year alone during protests on campuses. ERC said students need to organise themselves and put forward their grievances and demands on fee hike, underfunding, inadequate facilities, poor municipal services and victimisation etc. “We call on NANS to immediately declare and begin to mobilise for a one-day nationwide lecture boycott and mass protest as a way to put forward students demands and also to give active solidarity support to the strike actions of ASUU, ASUP and SSANIP. ERC calls on the striking unions to link up their struggles together by mobilising for joint rallies, protest and mass demonstrations.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 10:54:14 +0000