The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) under the new adminisitration will be meeting the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) towards ending the eight-month-old strike by university lecturers.
The new NANS president said the aim of the meeting is finding a “centre point for amicable resolution” to ensure that students in public universities return to school.
The newly elected Revolutionary NANS’ President, Sunday Asefon, stated this at a press conference on Monday in Abuja.
Recall ASUU began the nationwide strike on March 23, 2020 to press for the release of funds for the revitalization of universities and university workers’ earned allowance, the constitution of visitation panels for the universities, payment of shortfall in salaries of lecturers, and a stop to the use of the payment platform, IPPIS, for payment of salaries in the universities.
The union proposed the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a replacement for the controversial IPPIS.
As part of the efforts to end the eight-month-old strike, the federal government last week reconstituted its team to renegotiate the 2009 agreements with lecturers.
Asefon said he would be consulting with the representatives of the two feuding parties to find a common ground to end the prolonged strike.
“I am convinced that this high-level consultation will yield a positive result and we will not have to resort to mobilising students to mount any protest to this ridiculous long stay at home.
“NANS, under my watch, will not be complicit to such unending strike, and never again will Nigerian students have to stay home this long,” he said.
He also said NANS would fight against victimization of student leaders and activists on campuses.
“Arbitrary expulsion, suspension, and rustication of students for dissent and peaceful protest shall be met with stiff opposition from NANS,” he said.
Mr Asefon also said NANS would be working with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) “with the aim of providing legal representation for victimized students across the 36 states of the Federation, including the Federal Capital Territory.”
Mr Asefon said the new leadership of the students’ association would build strategic partnerships with development organizations to ensure students on campuses enjoy better welfare in terms of ICT, Smart Campus, and access to resources for research and academic productivity.
“We will also be working with Nigerian students in diaspora to ensure that their welfare is guaranteed, and their expectations met, by the Nigerian Government.
“Nigerian students abroad on scholarships will find in our leadership, a strategic partner to fight their cause and prevent them from experiencing any further humiliation on account of unmet expectations by the Government,” he said.
“My administration shall also be working with the private sector, especially those that provide services on our campuses to ensure they support the campus community in complementing the effort of government and institution managements to ensure that the students enjoy better welfare.”
However, on EndSARS protest, Mr Asefon said the association does not recognise the movement because it does not have a leader.
“Any protest that is faceless, NANS under my watch will not be party to it,” he said.
Mr Asefon said a protest would not solve the problem of police criminality because the Inspector-General of Police has dissolved the SARS unit.
