National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), on Monday barricaded the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, in a protest to demand for the settling of the protracted industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The Federal Government and ASUU had been on a roundtable over the lingering strike for more than eight months without a lasting solution.
Last week, the student body announced that it would ground activities at the local and international airports across the country beginning from Monday, September 18 over the lingering strike.
According to NANS, their resolution to embark on a protest was sequel to the successes recorded in its road protest during which several highways were blocked.
The leadership of NANS, in Akure, Ondo State capital, explained that the grounding of the airports was to make the influential people experience the pains of the students on the prolonged strike action.
The Chairman, NANS National Task Force on ‘End ASUU Strike Now,’ Ojo Raymond Olumide, said students are touted and can no longer continue to be begging both parties to end the strike.
He cautioned ASUU not to call off the strike because of the alleged increment in their salary but to insist on other demands that led to the strike action.
“We shall begin another round of protest next week by storming the airspaces on Monday, 19th September 2022 to #OccupyTheAirports. We want to let the world know about the pains and anguish students are going through.
“Nigerian students whose parents created the commonwealth cannot continue to be suffering at home alongside our lecturers while the few who gain from our sweat and blood have their kids abroad.
“We call on students to rise and join us as we take our destinies into our hands. Our demands remain consistently clear and simple. We call on ASUU leadership for a meeting as soon as possible to discuss solidarity actions and plan for the next phase of the struggles.” He said.
According to him, the students’ body doesn’t need any police permits about the planned protest to ground airports, adding that they were not subjected to security agencies.