Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile- Ife, on Tuesday, stormed the Tribune Lagos Office to register their grievances over the unresolved crisis between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) whose members have been on industrial action now for more than three months.
They said the action which had been keeping them idle at home instead of being in school studying and now for more than three months and without them knowing when the idleness would end is not only unacceptable but also condemnable in its entirety.
The students were led by their leaders including the President of the Students” Union Government, Mr Olayiwola Folahan and with placards with various inscriptions such as #EndASUUSTRIKE, “Spending 6 to 7 years for 4 or 5 years courses is disastrous and frustrating”, “Nigerian Students can no longer stay at home idle,” among others said they were totally tired of staying at home.
It will be recalled that ASUU had originally on a one-month warning strike and rolled the action over in March for another two months before it announced on Monday the additional three months, giving the same reasons of lack of government readiness to meet its demands, which bother on money for its action.
The OAU SUG president, Folahan, who spoke on behalf of them all berated the Federal Government for toying with their future by allowing the ASUU strike to drag this long.
He called on the Federal Government to without further delay resolve their differences with ASUU in a manner that will bring permanent peace to Nigerian public universities.
He said should the government fail to do this and now, students would have no option but to mass protest that will ground not only the education system but entire Nigeria’s economy.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Prof Eyitayo Ogunbode, who was cornered by Nigerian Tribune for comment at an event in Lagos also on Tuesday, advised the protesting students and their mates across the country to use this period to engage in meaningful activities that would have added value to them by the time the normalcy returns.
He, however, described the situation as unfortunate, saying the adverse consequences of the strike particularly on the students, parents and the university education is certainly anti-development for the country.
“So, students should just ensure they engage in self-development while the strike lasted,” he emphasised.
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