*NANS threatens to shut down Nigeria if…
The House of Representatives has urged the Federal government to honour its agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to end the union’s ongoing one-month warning strike.
The legislators made the call in a resolution which followed the adoption of a motion by Rep. Dozie Nwankwo, (APGA-Anambra) on the floor of the House on Tuesday in Abuja.
The House urged the Ministry of Labour and Employment as well as ASUU to adhere to the clauses and provisions of their previous Memorandum of Understanding and the Memorandum of Action.
According to the lawmakers, is in the interest of Nigerian students and the education sector for the warning strike to end.
The House also mandated its Committees on Labour, Employment and Productivity as well as Tertiary Education and Services to interface with the Ministries of Labour and Employment on the matter.
It also included the Ministry of Education, Civil Society Organisations, Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) and ASUU in those to address the outstanding issues that precipitated the current warning strike by the union.
The lawmakers also mandated its Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.
In the motion, Nwankwo had argued that there is the need to address the frequent strikes by ASUU.
He stressed that ASUU strike had in the past caused corporate pains to students and parents alike, adding that it had disrupted the academic calendar and impacted negatively on the teaching staff.
Nwankwo also decried the depreciating academic standards in Nigeria’s public universities as a result of incessant strikes by ASUU.
According to him, Nigeria is losing revenue through Nigerian students who school abroad and the standards of Nigerian universities can be raised to those of the best universities in Africa and the world.
ASUU on February 14, embarked on a warning strike for ”breach of agreement between the union and the federal government.”
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has commenced mobilisation of students for a nationwide protest against the industrial action embarked upon by ASUU.
The student body equally gave the Federal government and ASUU 7 days ultimatum to reach compromise or face the consequences of their next line of action.
The NANS President, Comrade Sunday Asefon, said the decision to lock down the 36 states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was arrived at its congress held on Saturday in Sokoto.
“Nigerian students can’t continue to pay for sins we never committed. As we are paying for our education, we strongly believe we deserve the best. At the end of every industrial actions, ASUU members are paid their salaries, likewise government officials in charge of education supervision get their pays. “It’s only Nigeria students that get nothing but a waste of everything, the house rent is non-refundable, the age count is irreversible.
“The extension of stay on campus didn’t only affect our academic journey but destabilise our life plans, as many misses NYSC mobilisation due to age limit, many lost job opportunities arising from age factors while many became exposed to risks and crimes following the avoidable idleness mode the strike imposed on Nigerian students.
“To act against these numerous consequences of strike on Nigerian students’ academic journey, I am pleased to direct immediate commencement of planning and mass mobilisation of Nigerian students and comrades across the 36 states of the federation and FCT, in line with congress decision.
“The line of action are as follows: blockage of all major federal roads in all the 36 states of the federation, to be led and coordinated by NANS JCC and zonal executive, including national officials of NANS in the state.
“Federal Capital Territory to be blocked by national secretariat in collaboration with FCT axis of NANS. “These became sacrosanct once the ASUU and Federal Government fail to reach compromise and get our campuses reopened on or before February 28,, 2022.
“In a clear term, Monday, February 28, 2022 is hereby declared as National Action Day Against ASUU Incessant Strike,” the statement read. Meanwhile, the Federal Government, on Monday, said it will meet with the leadership of ASUU over the one-month warning strike embarked upon by its members.