The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has split into two over the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). One faction is supporting the lecturers’ action while the other is opposed to the ongoing strike. The Yinka Gbadebo-led NANS was alleged to have openly condemned the strike and blamed the lecturers for not having the interest of the nation at heart. But this position was condemned by President of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union, Babatunde Badmus, who accused the national students’ body of failing students across the country. Badmus alleged that the leadership of NANS jettisoned the interest of Nigerian students by using the strike to make money. “We, young and vibrant, energetic students in majority of Nigerian universities are not going along with the NANS leadership on this struggle. “NANS ought to be a body that should fight for for the rights and privileges of students and ensure that we have good educational system alongside with ASUU and other student bodies. “But a situation whereby you have a NANS leadership that tours offices to collect money for their selfish interest and later go to shout and address the press, telling them lies that what ASUU is doing is wrong is totally unacceptable. “ASUU is fighting for a very good education system in the country. If we don’t have a befitting education in the country how will our future be secured? NANS president is on his own. “And that is why the forum of students’ union presidents has been going around campuses to sensitise students about the true position,” he said. The UI students’ leader lamented what he called the lukewarm attitude of the National Assembly to the ongoing strike, saying the attitude of the lawmakers shows they prefer crisis in public education. “If they are to collect money from the Executive and the President is not yielding, you will be hearing impeachment threats but since over a month, the National Assembly cannot take a common stand to compel the Federal Government to save the education sector. “They must be happy that no Nigerian university is ranked among the top 40 in Africa and none appears in best 2000 in the world,” Badmus said. And in Lagos, the Joint Action Front (JAF) also on Monday reaffirmed its commitment in collaboration with other Civil Society Organisations to the zonal mass rallies/protest today to ensure that public education at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels occupies utmost priority in governments’ policies, budgeting and implementation. Speaking to newsmen on the plans for the mass protest, JAF’s General Secretary, Abiodun Aremu, stated that all arrangements for the zonal mass protest to save the nation’s public education have been concluded. The protest will kick off today in Lagos, he added.According to Aremu, arrangements for the mass protest were made at an expanded general meeting on July 28, with JAF and representatives of the various stakeholders in the education sector, comprising students, civil society groups, academic and non-academic staff unions from across the country. “JAF and other stakeholders have resolved to intensify consultation and mobilisation of all stakeholders in the education sector: students, parents, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), NAAT, and College of Education Staff Union (COESU). “We further resolved to hold a media briefing a week to August 13, to unfold the details of the plan of action for the nationwide protest and urge Nigerians to brace up for a protracted struggle to save the future of the Nigerian child because the extant ruling class of looters and their cronies have no stake in public education because their children are funded with public wealth in the expensive and exclusive private schools in Nigeria and across the world,” he added. Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, on Monday expressed optimism that the ASUU strike will soon be resolved, going by the current level of interaction between government and the striking lecturers. According to Rufa’i, the meeting expected to harmonise all the demands emanating from the various university unions would continue in Abuja today. The meeting is being coordinated by Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, who doubles as Chairman of the NEEDS implementation committee. Rufa’i said: “In terms of where we are with ASUU, you know we have been meeting all this while, government is talking with their officials to see that we address these challenges.“We do have a responsibility and we are working on that responsibility, we are going to continue meeting with ASUU tomorrow (today), we hope that by the end of the meeting, we will go a long way in resolving the crisis.”
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 07:18:06 +0000
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