The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) says its next protest will hold at the third mainland bridge and ports in Lagos.
OduNews had earlier reported how the students’ group blocked the Muritala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Monday to protest the lingering strike embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
NANS noted that it is ready to go on a week-long protest until the Federal Government accedes to its demands on the resolution of the strike action of the ASUU.
This disclosure is contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Chairman, NANS National Taskforce on #EndASUUStrikeNow, Ojo Raymond, where it accused the Federal Government of deliberately denying the children of the common Nigerian access to quality education.
Ojo, who accused the Federal Government of mobilizing the armed forces and other security personnel against their genuine struggle, insisted that the protest would continue until the government makes the educational sector a priority.
The statement reads, “For the past few days, we have been protesting simultaneously round the states of the country to protest the continued ASUU strike which has lasted over seven months as a result of the ‘crass irresponsibility’ of the Federal Government to fulfil the terms of the agreement they willingly signed with ASUU.
“As an association, we are saddened by this development which has resulted in the closure of universities. And, this act, we believe, is deliberate by the Federal Government to deny the children of the common Nigerian access to quality education which violates the provisions of Chapter two of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“We are using this medium to reiterate that this protest continues and that we will not for any reason back down until the Federal Government takes the educational sector as a priority. It is quite pathetic that the Federal Government is making use of the armed forces to quench a genuine struggle of Nigerian students despite the fact that these officers are also victims of the system whose children are also affected the same way we are.
“Today’s protest at Muritala Muhammed International Airport (Domestic and International wings) is just a preamble of what is to come in days ahead. And, we are informing the general public and the international community to pay serious attention to this struggle because we have been duly informed of the plan of the Federal Government to mobilise heavily against this protest. This was even witnessed today as anti-riot police officers and men of the Air Force were mobilised to attack us not until they were prevented by the mass of Nigerian students.
“We maintain that this protest shall last a week here in Lagos State and would be held simultaneously at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Nigerian Ports Authority and the third mainland bridge until our demands are met.’’
