The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to cause a road blockade on Niger Bridge if the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is not called off by 30th January.
The National Public Relations Officer of NANS, Okereafor Opeyemi in a statement sent to EduCeleb.com on Wednesday revealed that that became necessary following the latest stalemate of the FG-ASUU meeting held on Monday.
He said that despite the pleas of the apex students’ body, both parties did not eventually reach a agreement.
Mr Opeyemi said it took this next line of action after wide consultation with students.
“NANS has widely consulted and equally consolidated on the over 2months old strike and left with no option than to use the third C of aluta which is confrontation!
“We consider this strike that has negatively affected Nigerian Students as a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise Nigerian Students in the forthcoming general elections which will be completely resisted knowing fully well that millions of Nigerian students registered in the campus environments.”
“In lieu of this NANS presidency is fully supporting the largest zone in NANS, ZONE B, led by COMR. Okereke Godson C Bishop decision to resist the continued strike by relocating the Secretariat of NANS to the very busy Niger bridge on the 30th of January 2019.”
He said the blockade may also be extended to other parts of the country should the strike persist.
“This shall be extended to other zones until our students are returned back to campus.”
The union also backed the ASUU leadership on its proposition seeking to remove Mr Wale Babalakin as the head of the negotiations with the union.
“Finally we are joining our voice with ASUU in calling on the FG to consider replacing Wale Babalakin with immediate effect, as the head of the renegotiation team, as this team is yet to yield any fruitful result so far.”
Meanwhile, another statement from the Zone B of NANS, comprising the South-South and the South East signed by its leader, Okereke Bishop gave details of how the protest was going to happen.
Read the statement below
In line with the revolutionary calls by the Students Congress in the zone, as the Coordinator of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) South-East and South-South region hereby announce operation “NO MOVEMENT” between the head Bridge that connects Delta State Capital in South-South and Onitsha in South-East as a sign of expressing our pains and sufferings as students inflicted on us by the government we had enthrone with Epileptic Educational System in Nigeria.
It is no longer news that NANS have exhausted her two Cs out of the three which is Consultation and Consolidation approach and are left with the nothing than the 3rd C which is Confrontations. It is horrible to note that our Governors are not taking us serious, our Representatives are only interested in elections, the lecturers are now business men and women and the government are not showing signs of seriousness, this is unacceptable to us as a region in this election period.
We have done our consultations with Stakeholders, the National and Zonal Executive Council Members of NANS in Zone B and other Zonal Coordinators colleagues , the JCC Chairmen and our Senators(SUG Presidents), we shall be occupying the Niger Bridge on the 30th of January 2019 for three days.
We enjoin the greatest Nigerian Students to please come with stoves, rice and beans as we shall fish from the River Niger, cook and eat at the major road.
Its should however be noted that;
1.All SUG and other Aluta Vehicle’s tyres shall be deflected at the Niger bridge, to show how unhappy Nigerian Students are.
2.We call on the Zonal leadership of NPF in SS/SE to cooperate with the Zonal leadership NANS ZONE B as Nigerian Students Leaders embark on this struggle of liberation, emancipation and freedom for all Nigerian Students, without violence.
3.We shall remain resolute and keep wake for three days until the strike is called off.
4. Let it be known that this is not a politically influenced or motivated struggle and not aimed at witch hunting any individual. We can’t be at home while election is taking place in Nigeria.
It should be remembered that Nigerian Students struggled to partake in INEC Registration in our campuses, the politicians are no longer taking us serious as a body because they think our voting strength have been reduced and they are saving money to BUY our PVCs as votes but We shall resist them!
The action is however necessary in order to take our destinies into our own hands so that ASUU /ASUP and FG will understand that we can’t be disinfranchised in Nigeria democracy as students.
Enough is Enough!!!.
Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win!!!.
Okereke Godson Bishop
NANS ZONE B CORD (SS/SE)
