The National Association of Nigerian Polytechnic Students has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to sack the Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike.
Members of the association made the call on Monday in Abuja while protesting at the Federal Ministry of Education office over the strike of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics.
The strike started on October 5, 2013.
The association, which accused Wike of not being capable of resolving the ASUP strike, carried placards bearing “Wike Must Go” and “Government is Insensitive”, among others.
The National President of NANPS, Sunday Ogbonnaya, said the students were supporting their lecturers’ call for better funding of the nation’s polytechnics.
Ogbonnaya said, “ASUP’s demands have the backing of the student body, particularly with regard to ending the discrimination against HND holders and the call for better funding for the polytechnics.
“The last meeting between ASUP and the minister was inconclusive. ASUP initially had 13 demands, then they streamlined into four. With the agreement, it is unfair for the government to fail to yield to the pact. We also appealed to ASUP at the meeting with the minister, that if they are canvassing what is theirs; they should not use students as negotiation tools in getting what they want.
“A few days after that meeting, ASUP met and said the strike continues and for various reasons, we believe in the struggle of ASUP. We are tired of staying at home. We are totally in support of the 13 demands of the union and we are ready to give them all necessary support.”
