Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Hundreds of the students of the University of Ilorin (Unilorin) in Kwara State, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest to express their sadness and disappointment over the ongoing strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The university students, however, said that they would take the protest to major places in the city like the Government House, roads linking Ilorin Airport, the State House of Assembly, Federal Secretariat, Police Headquarters, and the Directorate of State Security Services (DSS), among other places, if the meeting between the lecturers’ union and the federal government failed to resolve the lingering crisis country’s university educational system this week.
The protesting students, who appeared moody, lamented their continued staying at home due to the strike action and called on the federal government to meet ASUU demands to enable them complete their academic activities.
The students, who recited national anthem in different sad postures to depict their dissatisfaction, including sitting on the ground, squatted, and lied down on the ground, said that they would not have anything to do with the general elections if the strike action was not called off.
The protest also saw men and officers of the DSS, police and Man ‘O War manning strategic locations around the institution and providing security in order to see that the peaceful protest was not hijacked by hoodlums.
Speaking with journalists, the President of the Unilorin Students Union Government (SUG), Mr. Taofik Waliu, said that the protest was aimed at creating awareness among stakeholders and members of the public over their sadness concerning the lingering ASUU strike because “we are tired.
“We want to graduate. The federal government should listen to ASUU demands. We didn’t plan to move around town today.
“We hope that soon ASUU strike will be a thing of the past whereby hanging graduate can graduate and hanging 300 Level students can move up and so on.
“However, if nothing fruitful comes out after the meeting of the federal government and ASUU this week, we will move en masse continuously with other students of 10 educational institutions in the state to block roads to various places in the state capital in order to register our displeasure over the lingering ASUU strike.
“This is just to send a message to government that we are tired and they should listen to ASUU demands.”
Also speaking, the State Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Mr. Salman Yusuf Yisa, called on state governors to intervene, adding that the issue is beyond the federal government.
Yisa said: “Our house rents had lapsed. Landlords have issued quit notices to many of us. Many 100 Level students are yet to know their fate, yet JAMB is still conducting exams for new admission seekers.
“We want an end to this persistent strike action. If by next week we don’t see an end to this strike action Nigerians would not find it easy. It’s going to be tough and massive.
