AfriqueCAN:
THE National Association of Nigeria Students – NANS, has appealed to the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of University – ASUU, to find common grounds to prevent disruption in the academic calendar www.AfriqueCAN.com
NANS President, Henry Okunomo, made the plea during a press briefing on Sunday in Akure, Ondo State.
Okunomo, on behalf of the association, is appealing to the Federal Government to take immediate and decisive action to prevent disruption in the educational sector by preventing any strike.
The NANS leader also urged President Bola Tinubu to allocate sufficient resources to the educational sector to improve infrastructure, provide necessary teaching aids, and ensure timely payment of salaries and benefits to lecturers.
He said that establishing a continuous platform for dialogue between the government, university administrators and lecturers to address grievances before escalation was important to prevent academic disruption.
“We are all acutely aware of the recurring disruptions caused by strikes in our universities.
“These strikes, often as a result of unresolved issues between university lecturers and the government, have profound and far reaching consequences on the educational journey of countless students.
“It is with a heavy heart and a determined spirit that I address this pressing issue today, appealing to the government to take immediate and effective steps to prevent our lecturers from resorting to another strike.
“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 our lecturers to also embrace dialogue and shift ground where necessary to avoid collapse of the education system,” he said.
Okunomo added that it would be disastrous for university lecturers to shut down the universities with an industrial action when the country is battling economic hardship.
ASUU had issued a three-week ultimatum to the Federal Government over some outstanding demands.
