NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (NAUS) REACT TO SSANU/NASU STRIKE

Today, the giant of Africa-Nigeria is faced with a  precarious situation where the amount Nigerians spend yearly to educate their children in Ghana is far more than the yearly budgetary allocation to the education sector.

This is not strange, but a sad thing.
In the light of the above amongst the economic situation of the country, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities  (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) plans  to embark on Nation wide  strike today 19th August, 2019 which is tagged "Comprehensive and Total" by the President of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Chairman of Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU, Comrade Samson Ugwoke is not a welcomed idea by NAUS.

Evidently, the strikes in this sector are caused by the refusal of government to honour subsisting agreements or to pay salaries. Hence, it is apt to bring to the fore that this development is not welcomed as the strike will bring about fear in the minds of students, thereby delaying academic works, examination and other academic activities.

Consequently, our disappointment is that we as students, go to bed only to wake up to hear that there is an industrial action. Imperatively, "Nigerian Students are always at the receiving end". If SSANU wants to go on strike, they should, at least, carry the student leaders along; we are their children and they are our parents.

I do believe it is time for all lovers of education to come together and get both the federal government and all stakeholders in Nigerian university to return to the negotiation table and resolve all outstanding grievances. Both sides must be willing to yield ground for the sake of University Students and that of our dear country Nigeria.

Furthermore, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the two other leading unions in the university education sector, viz, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Non-Academic Staff Union of  (NASU) must as a matter of urgency ensure the student is placed at the center of all decisions.

I therefore urge the federal government to comply with the demands of SSANU/NASU and even ASUU so as to allow students to  continue their academic activities and avert the inimical crisis that is about to invade the already stressed educational sector. Not forgetting that "Education is a right not a privilege.

Comrade Taiwo Oluwasegun
*National Publicity Secretary-NAUS*