Students group wants Nigerians intervene in strike

The Progressive Students Movement (PSM), a students’ movement, on Tuesday urged well-meaning Nigerians and elder statesmen to intervene in lingering Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike in public universities.

The National President of PSM, Mr Bestman Okereafor, made the call while speaking with our correspondent on Tuesday in Enugu.

Our correspondent recalls that ASUU, on Monday, May 9, extended its over two-month old strike by yet another three months.

ASUU had embarked on a nationwide warning strike on Feb. 14, 2022.

The industrial action was aimed at pressing home its demands which include revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowances and the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution for payment of university lecturers.

Okereafor said: “We consider the laissez-faire attitude of the Federal Government towards the continued ASUU strike as a deliberate mockery of Nigerian students and the education sector.

“As Progressives, we have consulted, persuaded, consolidated on the continued ASUU strike which is doing more harm than good, especially academically, even as it affects the future of Nigerian students.

“It will not be out of place for Nigerian student leaderships to proceed to the shutting down of both the APC and PDP national party secretariats in demand for their voice to be heard on the strike”, he said.

Okereafor said to avoid the consequences of planned students protest, it was important that relevant stakeholders should prevail on government and the lecturers to end the strike immediately.