The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called for an immediate end to the strike action by a section of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Abuja. NANS President Comrade Lucky Emonefe, in a statement on Monday, urged the striking lecturers to reconsider their stance and return to work.
Emonefe expressed disappointment that ASUU often disregards the interests and challenges faced by Nigerian students and parents before resorting to strike actions. He applauded members of the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) and the Congress of Nigerian Universities Academics (CONUA) for rejecting the strike.
The NANS president also commended the House of Representatives Committee on University Education for swiftly intervening and urging the striking lecturers to resume work. He emphasized that all well-meaning individuals should be concerned and reject the actions of the lecturers.
Emonefe affirmed NANS' support for the federal government and the University of Abuja management in taking necessary steps to end the strike. He criticized the frequent resort to strikes by university staff, highlighting that such actions disrupt academic activities and fail to address underlying issues.
He stated, "Gone are the days when staff of tertiary institutions would resort to strikes rather than engage in dialogue to resolve grievances. The lack of sensitivity and regard for students, parents, and the education system is unacceptable. Strike actions in our institutions only disrupt and never address any problems."
Emonefe also expressed concern over the cumulative loss of over 16 months to ASUU strikes between 2020 and 2023, emphasizing the need for ASUU to explore alternative dispute resolution mechanisms rather than immediate strikes.
