…NANS says no campaign for political parties unless…
…quality of teaching would be affected- ASUU
Uneasy calm pervade the academic environment, as the National Industrial Court on Wednesday on ordered members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who have been on strike for over seven months to go back to go back to work.
The Federal Government in a suit, prayed for the order for ASUU to call off its seven months strike. (NAN)
Meanwhile the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened not to allow any political campaign hold across the country till students of public universities return to classrooms.
Chairman, NANS National Taskforce, Ojo Olumide, announced this at a press conference in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Wednesday, some days to September 28, the official date for candidates to kick-off campaign as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“Our blocking of access to public roads and ports is just a warning. If the government fails to conclude all the negotiation and agreement with ASUU within the frame of two weeks, they will witness more protests and rallies all over the country, they will also witness the annoyance, anger and frustration of Nigerians Students who have been at home for the past seven months.
“As we promise them that we will not allow any political campaign to hold across the country until we are back to class. This government has pushed so many Nigerians students into depression. We say enough is enough; we can no longer bear the brunt from this avoidable crisis in our nation public ivory towers again,” he said.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has been on strike since February 14, 2022 as talks between the Federal Government and lecturers of public universities broke down.
The students had reported that students blocked access road to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos as well as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Ibadan-Ife Road, causing pains to thousands of commuters and passengers.
But Emmanuel Osodeke, president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), says the quality of teaching will be affected if lecturers are “forced” to resume work.
Osodeke spoke on Tuesday during a meeting with the leadership of the house of Representatives and the ministry of education.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on strike in February, halting academic activities in public universities for over seven months.
The federal government has met with the leadership of ASUU multiple times to resolve the union’s demands, but there is yet to be headway.
The Federal Government had also recently filed a suit against the union at the national industrial court over the lingering strike.
The court is scheduled to rule on the matter on Wednesday.
Speaking at the meeting, Osodeke said it spells danger for the nation’s public universities if lectures are forced by the court to resume teaching without the federal government addressing their demands.
“The problem we have in this country is that we look at the strike as a problem, but strike is a symptom of a problem in the system,” he said.
“Nobody will go round our universities today and say that our universities are good, whether federal or state universities.
“If the court forces the lecturers to go to work tomorrow, which type of teaching will they do? If the court forces the Nigerian academics — say ‘go and teach against your will’ — just like the court forcing a doctor to go and treat a patient against their will, how many of us will go and meet that doctor.”
Osodeke also criticised the ministry of education for not doing enough to address the demands of the union.
According to him, the ministry has “never” invited ASUU for an official meeting with the goal of finding a lasting solution to the strike.
In his remarks, Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house, said the meeting is aimed at proffering short-term and long-term solutions to the union’s industrial action.
He said the leadership of the house will “take it upon itself” to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari towards ensuring that there is a permanent solution.
Osodeke, Gbajabiamila and Goodluck Opiah, the minister of state for education, entered a closed-door session after the presentation by ASUU.
