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From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
It was a hectic day for motorists and commercial motorcyclists, yesterday, in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, as students under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) blocked major roads to protest against prolonged nationwide strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU).
The rally was organised by the NANS/ Joint Campus Committee to prod the Federal Government to hearken to ASUU’s demands.
The protest led by NANS’ National President, Sunday Asefon, was attended by students of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti and the Federal University, Oye Ekiti. Their counterparts from other institutions also joined the protest in solidarity.
Asefon said no nation can develop when its universities, considered to be veritable grounds for research, invention and building of knowledge base of the youths are rendered functionless with students left to rotten away without mercy.
He said the body was still planning a bigger rally under the nomenclature ‘Operation Test-run’ that would shake the country over alleged inefficiency and ineptitude of the Federal Government to resolve the issue.
“What we are saying is that we are tired of staying at home. Our students want to return to school. How can the FG be claiming of having no fund to accede to ASUU’s demands when corruption of huge magnitude was being perpetrated under it?
“The Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris was arrested for alleged N80 billion fraud. The former managing director of NDDC, Mr. Nsima Ekere was also arrested by the EFCC for alleged N47 billion fraud and the government is claiming that there is no money in the treasury.
“Our demand is simple, FG must meet all the demands and conditions set by ASUU. We are tired of strike today, strike tomorrow. Strike is exposing our students to crime and the best bet is to return to school. No nation can grow when its intellectual thrust is being debased. Our students are being debased and deprived of their rights to standard education. If our forefathers and leaders of this nation had behaved like this during their reigns, those leading us today wouldn’t have got to where they are.” They sacrificed everything for things to work well and President Buhari and those in government must do same.
