…As Motorists Groan Over Traffic Gridlock
By John Ugo, Awka
It was several hours of pain in the scorching sun as hundreds of students under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Southeast zone on Tuesday blocked the Enugu-Awka-Onitsha Expressway for several hours in protest over the recurrent closure of universities following the warning strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
The protesters with placards of various inscriptions warned the Federal Government and ASUU to urgently resolve their disagreement within weeks or be ready to damning negative consequences.
They declared that they were tired of the yearly strike actions by ASUU and inability of the federal government to honour its 2009 agreement with the striking lecturers which they noted has been responsible for the lapses in the nation’s education system.
The students drawn from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (Unizik) Awka, Anambra State and other institutions in the states condemned the lingering disagreement between ASUU and Federal Government over the poor welfare condition of lecturers, staff and rot in the nation’s universities.
They issued ultimatum to both ASUU and the Federal Government to quickly resolve their disagreement to allow universities and other higher institutions to resume their studies as the yearly strike actions have never allowed for smooth academic studies and sound learning among students across the country.
The aggrieved protesters lamented that they were yet to come to terms with the challenge posed by the Covid-19 pandemic which has continued to ravage homes,schools, states and the entire nation.
The alarmed students wondered why ASUU and the federal have not thought it wise to resolve the strike impasse which they said has added to their woes as youths who are the hope of the country.
They further warned that if in few weeks time the two parties (ASUU and Federal government) failed to settle dispute, they would come out in full force and the consequences would be better imagined than experienced.
Comrade Peter Onyemaife, the Chairman of the Joint Taskforce Committee of NANS campuses in Anambra State said, the students are embittered by the ongoing strike and were only out in the street to give a warning signal to the authorities.
“This is just a warning protest, we are here to register our grievances ; the students are not happy and they are frustrated and they want to tell the Federal Government and ASUU and every person in government that enough is enough.
“Every six months,every year you hear ASUU going on strike and they will be doing business with students and we are saying that enough is enough.
“Whatever the Federal Government has with ASUU, they must resolve it within a few weeks and if they fail to do that we are going back to occupy the streets, roads and everywhere to shutdown the country and the states and nothing will change until they get the students back to the schools and campuses.”
Onyemaife said that the incessant strike actions have forced some of the students to get involved in acts of criminality such armed robbery, prostitution while others have died in road accidents due to constant closure of higher institutions.
“Some parents are frustrated, You get into the university and you are supposed to graduate in four years but because of ASUU strike you will be graduating in six years with extra school fees and other challenges.
“ So, our protest is directed at both ASUU and Federal government but more to the government because it is the duty of government to provide for the welfare of ASUU to improve on the academic needs of the students, and any country that is not serious with education is playing with the future of the students.
The President of the Students Union Government of Unizik, Awka, Charles Obinna Ijeoma said, the students are demanding a return to the classroom in order not to miss the session.
