By Polycarp Auta
Students in Plateau, under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Monday staged a peaceful protest in Jos over the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ASUU is currently on a one-month warning strike to press home some demands.
The union alleged that the Federal Government failed to honour the agreement it entered with ASUU since 2009.Mr Na’allah Nanzim, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), NANS Zone C, who spoke during the protest said the protest was basically to express the students’ grievances over incessant strikes by ASUU.
According to Nanzim, the protest was also tell both the government and ASUU that education is the right of every Nigerian child, hence the need for them to find a common a ground.He said students often suffer setbacks in their academic journeys anytime ASUU embarks on strike action.“We are actually here to express our grievances to the Federal Government and ASUU over the incessant strikes.“
We are here to make a statement, that education is a right and the consistent strikes are gradually killing the education system in Nigeria.“We want government to know that we are critical stakeholders in the education sector and these strikes are really affecting our academic journey.“
When ASUU and government have issues, it is the students that suffer and this protest is to show how unhappy we are over the regular strikes,” he said.Nanzim said that the students would continue to hold such protests until ASUU and government reached a reasonable agreement. (NAN)
