The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Sunday, pleaded with the Federal Government to address the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to avoid imminent strike and closure of all federal universities in the country.
The students’ leadership specifically appealed to President Bola AhmedTinubu to give priority to education and take concrete steps to prevent another strike of the lecturers.
This is just as they called on the lecturers to also embrace dialogue and shift ground where necessary to avoid the collapse of the education system in the country.
The Senate President of NANS, Comrade Henry Okunomo, who made this appeal during a media briefing in Akure, Ondo state capital, on Sunday, urged the federal government to place more emphasis on proper funding of the education sector.
Okunomo noted that Nigerian students are usually the greatest victims of any face-off between the Federal Government and the university lecturers, but said students could not afford to sit on the fence any more in the matter.
According to him, education remains the foundation upon which the future of any nation is built, saying it is through education that youths are empowered and become informed, skilled, and responsible citizens.
He, however, said “The frequent strikes in our universities have severely hampered the academic progress and well-being of students.
“Each strike not only disrupts the academic calendar, but also has far-reaching effects on the mental, emotional, and financial stability of students and their families.
“We therefore appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritize education, and take concrete steps to prevent our lecturers from going on strike”
Okunomo recalled that the President during his campaign promised Nigerian students that no student shall stay longer than necessary in school for his or her academic programme, as there would no be disruption in the academic calendar.
The students however, called on the President to remember his promises by “allocating sufficient resources to the education sector to improve infrastructure, provide necessary teaching aids, and ensure timely payment of salaries and benefits to our lecturers.
“Honour and fulfil the existing agreements with lecturers and engage in transparent, good-faith negotiations to resolve outstanding issues.
“Establish a continuous platform for dialogue between the government, university administration, and lecturers to address grievances before they escalate.
“Develop and implement long-term strategies to enhance the quality of education, improve working conditions for lecturers, and ensure the stability of our academic calendar”
The students said “It will be disastrous for University lecturers to shut down the education sector with an industrial action now when Nigeria is battling economic hardship.
“We appeal to our lecturers to also embrace dialogue and shift ground where necessary to avoid the collapse of the education system.
“We, the students, are the primary stakeholders in this situation. Our voices, hopes, and futures hang in the balance.
“We are counting on the government to act decisively and with a sense of urgency to prevent the devastating impact of another strike.
“We appeal to all parties involved to remember the greater good. Let us work together to create an environment where education can flourish uninterrupted, where lecturers are respected and fairly treated, and where students can pursue their studies with confidence and peace of mind.
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