THE National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has asked its members to participate in the two-day protest planned by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in solidarity with the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
NANS made this known in a statement issued by its President Sunday Asefon, in Abuja on Wednesday.
The association is asking students to join the protest despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to ministers to put an end to the strike within two weeks.
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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has fixed July 26 and 27 for nationwide protests over the Federal Government’s refusal to comply with ASUU’s demands.
In an interview with The ICIR, ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke urged all Nigerians to join the mass protests.
In the statement released on Wednesday, NANS President Asefon commended the leadership of the NLC for their steadfastness and commitment to join forces with well-meaning Nigerians to advocate for the end of the protracted ASUU strike.
The statement said, “While NANS has organised various protests in the past with no substantial results, also our advocacy and consultation has not yielded any desirable result. We have activated political solution and we are very hopeful that an end is in the purview.
“However, we are in total support of the planned protest by NLC as we believe this will stem up the advocacy and assist in no mean measure to put adequate pressure on the Federal Government to do all that is required to stop the strike.
“I, therefore, direct all NANS structures across the country to mobilise and join NLC protest. NANS will only be involved in the mobilization of students to the protest sites and will act based on the direction provided by the NLC. NANS structures across the country shall submit to the leadership of NLC all through the protest.”
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.