The Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU) has tasked Nigerian students to carry out reasonable protests that will bring an end to the incessant strikes in the university system.
The Union lamented its struggle to ensure that Nigerian students, irrespective of where they are, get the same education as children of the rich, was not being complemented by the students who are meant to be the beneficiaries.
ASUU national president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, stated this on Friday while speaking on Classic FM morning show monitored by our correspondent in Abuja.
“We have to explain to the students to be part of the struggle, not saying ASUU is not doing this. Any day they and the parents decide to ask the politicians, where are your children schooling? If they said they are not in Nigeria, you don’t vote for them.
“They have to own this struggle that we are fighting on their behalf. You don’t expect a student leader driving Prado, visiting Government House and think any government will take you serious.
When we were in students union, we dressed with jeans and T-shirt and struggle but today what do you have? Wearing suit, driving prado around the country.”
This is coming few days after the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by Comrade Sunday Asefon, accused ASUU of continued insincerity in meeting with the students union in order to hear directly from them as their fathers on the real areas of contention.
“We have met with federal government’s representatives and have heard directly from them, but all efforts to meet ASUU leadership is being consciously frustrated by ASUU leadership.
“We are also aware that revitalisation of our universities is not the main issue of contention between ASUU and Federal Government but issue concerning payment platform and renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
We have tried our possible best not to direct our rage towards ASUU but Federal Government.
“However, ASUU is leaving us with no option than to enlist them on list of our enemies, and we will serve ASUU with the same plate with Federal Government.
Since they won’t talk to us as their closest children in this struggle, we will assume they don’t have our interest at heart and we will treat them as our enemy as well. If we are part of the beneficiaries of their struggle, they will not have problem explaining to us why our gain will be bigger than our loss if the fight continues,” Asefon had said.
Meanwhile, on the claim that some universities were calling off the strike, Osodeke said if the Universities ask students to come back, they were only punishing them to suffer as all the ASUU branches were solidly behind the strike and won’t go to classes.
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