ASUU strike: We will shut down private universities – Students threaten

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has vowed to shutdown private universities if the ongoing strike persists. The students threatened yesterday during a protest in Ado- Ekiti against the protracted strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU. The group, who carried placards with different inscriptions such as: We are tired FG, ASUU, Our leaders are heartless, FG save our career, etc, condemned the Federal Government’s stance and vowed to force private universities across the country to shutdown if the government fails to agree to the demands of the striking lecturers. NANS also threatened to storm the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to press home their demands. While lamenting that they are tired of staying at home, the visibly angry students blasted President Goodluck Jonathan over its failure to honour the agreement it had with ASUU. Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Comrade Asafon Sunday, who is the Director of Action and Mobilization of NANS, South -west, zone, said “Between 2000 and 2011, government earned about N48.48 trillion from the sale of oil alone, against N3.10 trillion earned between 1979 and 1999.The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in 2012 financial year alone accrued a sum of N5.12 trillion as revenue generated from tax paid by the masses. With this upsurge in the revenue at the disposal of the Nigerian government, one would have expected such to translate to commensurate improvement in the quality of public education as well as other social services.”