The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has resolved to organise a nationwide mass protest for the immediate reopening of all universities across the country.

This resolution was reached in a communiqué issued on Wednesday in Enugu after NANS Students’ Leaders Emergency Virtual Meeting held on Nov. 9.

The students’ leaders lamented that the continued strike was an organized crime against students’ career and educational pursuits.

NANS issued a 14-day Ultimatum for both parties (ASUU and FG) to resolve their impasse for campuses to re-open or risk Mass Protest.

The Union warned that #EndASUUStrike protest will have economic shut down as the major target.

The communiqué reads in part:” NANS declares the necessity of minimum of two academic session school fees waiver for Nigerian students in both state and federal institutions in the spirit of COVID-19 palliative to ameliorate the economic effects of the lockdown occasioned by the global pandemic.

“This is to avert mass drop out of students which may increase crime and criminality among youths in Nigeria.”

The association lamented that the government had not earmarked meaningful budgetary allocation to the educator sector in line with the recommendation of UNESCO 26 per cent educational budgetary allocation.

According to the student Union, this can be traced as the root cause of incessant strike by the Academic Staff Unions in all Nigeria tertiary institutions.

“Consequently, NANS with no hesitation declares 14 days Ultimatum for both ASUU and FG to resolve their impasse to reopen our campuses or risk Mass Protest tagged #EndASUUStrike Nationwide.

“While the Government and ASUU have nothing to lose at the end of every strike, both salaries, promotions and other emoluments among others flows uninterrupted;

According to the body, “Nigerian students are the greatest losers of the strike as their career are delayed, stay on campus extended, house rent/hostel fee incurred, NYSC age limit exceeded, Federal/state job age requirement exceeded among other negative effects and impacts on general life plan of an average Nigerian student.

The communiqué was jointly signed by the communiqué drafting committee led by Mr Salahudeen Lukman as Chairman, from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Mr Danladi Jonah from Modibo Adama Federal University Yola, Adamawa State.

Others are Mr Ogunsanya Rasheed, JCC Chairman Lagos, Mr Adai Pius, SUG President, Federal University of Agriculture, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Noforija-Epe, Lagos State and Mr Nwafor Joshua, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki and Rukkayya Yusuf, ABU Zaria, Kaduna State.

*STRIKE UPDATE* 

▪️ _Sipisi media network_ ▪️

âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–

Conditions Given by Asuu To call Of Strike

âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–

 

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) urged the Federal Government to leave the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS) as condition to call off its ongoing strike in the country. Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President said this in a statement made available on Sunday in Abuja that the ongoing strike may still linger if government failed to meets its demand.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that ASUU had embarked a nationwide strike on March 23 to press on its demands which include revitalisation, Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement, Visitation Panels, among others. According to Ogunyemi, Nigerians should bear with us. ASUU is doing their battle. “Our Union is struggling to ensure that the children of the poor, who cannot afford the prohibitive cost paid in private universities or do not have 

rtunities to study outside Nigeria, get quality education which is not priced beyond their reach.

“This will only happen when government adequately funds public universities and addresses the rot and decay in them. “ASUU has shifted positions in some respects. “For instance, our members have reduced their demand of one tranche N220bn of the outstanding revitalization fund by 50 per cent. “The Union has also agreed that N30bn out of the so far verified arrears of N40bn of the earned academic allowances (EAA) be paid to our members while the balance of N10bn could be spread over the next two tranches, “We were equally making steady progress on other issues,”he said. ASUU president, therefore, noted that what had stalled meaningful dialogue was government’s insistence that payment of the withheld salaries and other entitlements of its members would only be effected through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

He added that government was punishing university teachers because they rejected IPPIS, which was imposed on the universities against the provisions of the law on autonomy and universal practices. He however, said that ASUU was at the final stage of the integrity test of the Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

UTAS was developed locally by ASUU members, unlike IPPIS which was engineered by the World Bank. Ogunyemi said UTAS had been presented to the Minister of Education and senior management staff, the President and leadership of Senate, and the Office of the Accountant-General where NITDA and Office of the National Security Adviser and other MDAs were fully represented.

 *Join our platforms for more updates* 

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

https://chat.whatsapp.com/LihMEd1U7jYCdvoqcXuDFi

Reporting: *Journ Michael C Shedrack*

For

 *Sipisi Media Network*