The National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) has slammed the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for being insensitive and inconsiderate with their demand
It will be recalled that ASUU has refused to play ball with the Federal Government, insisting it won’t call off the strike unless the six months salary arrears for the time they were on strike get paid.
NANS said that such stance evidences the selfish interest of the union as opposed to their initial stance of fighting for the good of the university system.
In a statement signed by the National President, Sunday Asefon, the students body called on the lecturers to tread the path of honour and quit acting as employees when they are actually employers.
The statement reads in part, “However, we condemn in totality, the insistence of ASUU on the payment of a six-month arrears salary for the entire period of the strike before they can call off the strike. This demand is not only insensitive, it is also selfish, inconsiderate, and uncharitable.
“The six months are periods of no work. As much as we encourage the government to pay their arrears irrespective, it is unfair to base resumption of academic activities on full payment of the arrears.
“We have also, unfortunately, noticed that since the beginning of the strike, ASUU had refused to put the students who are the major losers into consideration whatsoever. They have hidden from us the major areas of contention. Every other stakeholder, except ASUU, has met with us directly to discuss the issues.
“ASUU had masqueraded some of their interests as the interest of tertiary education in Nigeria, and at some point masqueraded their interest as the interest of the students. We know that ASUU is less concerned about the interest of the students because of our experiences with them at our various tertiary institutions.
“University authorities have used ASUU members and leaders to expel, suspend and rusticate students for merely protesting for improved welfare. They expel and rusticate students for protesting for basic needs such as water, power, habitable hostel accommodation, etc.
“ASUU members arbitrarily failed students for questioning their positions or opinions and sometimes for asking too many questions. These same people cannot suddenly turn around to claim they are fighting for our interest, our interest they trample upon at every given opportunity at our various tertiary institutions.
“We believe that if the government has met substantially major areas of their demand,
“ASUU should tread the path of honour by calling off the strike. We no longer believe that this continuous strike is fashionable, reasonable, justifiable, and necessary”.