The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has said that if the striking members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are really fighting for students, they should suspend their strike.
President of NANS, Mr. Sunday Asefon, stated this in a statement made available to CAMPUS GIST, adding that the issue of withheld salary should not stop the union from suspending the six-month old strike action.
“Our expectation is that the strike be suspended,” Asefon said. “They should have a rethink. If they are actually fighting for students’ welfare and issues relating to students, enough is enough. Let them suspend the strike.
“Moreover, the issue of their salaries that are not yet paid should not debar them from calling off the action. That one can be sorted out when they resume work. This is not the first time the government would threaten to invoke “No work, no pay,” but it has always paid in the end. The future of Nigerian students is at stake here,” added the NANS leader.
The National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU met Sunday evening to review results from the branches’ Congresses nationwide.
The union is expected to brief media Monday morning on whether the strike would be suspended, roll-over or declared total, full blown and indefinite.
CAMPUS GIST reports that ASUU has been on strike since February 14, while other non-academic university-based staff unions which went on strike after them have suspended their own actions.