NANS CALLS FOR CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT AS ASUU SHUNS MEETING WITH FG

ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on feuding parties to engage in constructive engagement with a human face to resolve the lingering issues that led to the declaration of the strike to safe the education sector and the future of Nigerian Students in the interest of the Nation.

NANS made the call just as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU today failed to show up at the venue of the meeting. Speaking on the development, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige said ASUU submitted a document to government on its stand on the strike and that government will study the document.

The Students Association had given the Federal Government a 21 days ultimatum to resolve the issues to enable students return to school failure which will lead to a total shut of activities across Nation by the Students.

The Students body decried the incessant and prolonged strike as one of factors responsible for the falling standard of education in Nigeria apart from the attendant untold hardship to the Students and their Parents and Guardians.

According to the President of NANS, Comrade Chinonso Obasi, incessant strikes and stoppage of academic activities as a result of lack of agreements or lack of adherence and implementation of duly executed memorandum of agreements between the Federal Government and ASUU does not reflect and demonstrate commitment to the sustainable development of the nation’s education sector and the development of the nation’s human capital development.

Obasi stated that though the Association had called for an emergency Senate meeting to deliberate on the strike and other issues of critical national importance and take a position on the way forward before the Federal Government’s call for a meeting with ASUU, the Association will await the outcome of meeting to determine the next line of action.

The Association calls on the parties to demonstrate sensitivity and a great sense of patriotism in resolving the issues as the earliest convenience to save education in the nation and avert unfortunate developments associated with the idleness of young people.