Do all you can to get students back to classrooms, NANS tells FG

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the federal government to look into the plight of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to avert the indefinite strike.

Chinonso Obasi, national president, NANS made the call in a statement made available in Abuja on Monday.

He said: “It is with deep pain and regret that NANS received the news of another indefinite strike by ASUU over the federal government’s indifference to their plight.

“Nigerian students sees the break down in negotiations as a further proof that political leaders don’t care about their future.

“Consequently, we wish to call on the federal government to do all it can to get ASUU back to the classrooms.

“The demands of ASUU are reasonable and touch on the integrity of government, especially in the light of the fight against corruption.”

According to him, NANS finds it hard to believe that past governments would fail to honour agreements with members of ASUU for more than seven years.

Obasi, however, said the association in the light of the foregoing gave the Federal Government 21 days to resolve outstanding issues with ASUU in the interest of long-suffering Nigerian students.

He explained that the students would be forced to bear the brunt of the break down in the negotiation between the union and the government.

He added that NANS would be meeting in the coming week with leaders of ASUU to find out their irreducible minimum in their demands.

He threatened that if by the expiration of 21 days ultimatum, the issue was not resolved, Nigerian students would be forced to ground activities in the country.

NAN reports that ASUU on Monday officially announced the commencement of its nationwide industrial actions at a news conference held in Abuja.