EducationLabourASUU Strike: Education Minister Walks Out On NANS, Meeting Deadlocked

ABUJA — The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, on Monday, stormed out of a meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) who were protesting over the one-month warning strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The minister had scheduled an impromptu meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) who had staged a protest from the National Assembly to the Federal Ministry of Education, calling for an immediate end to the ASUU strike

On getting to the Ministry, the angry students, who barricaded the entrance of the ministry while brandishing placards with various inscriptions, urged the government to listen to their cries and settle ASUU.

Representatives of the students were later allowed in and a meeting was held with the Minister of Education.

Lamenting the failure of the government to resolve ASUU strike after several years, NANS national president, Comrade Sunday Asefon, who spoke on behalf of the students said, “ASUU strike is killing education more and more. This strike has been affecting our lives since 1999 and Nigerian students want to be part of the discussion between the federal government and ASUU to find a lasting solution to the matter.

“We want the federal government and ASUU to, as a matter of urgency, call off this strike while negotiation continues. We want to go back to classes, if not this will be more than #EndSARS protest.”

The meeting was going well until the students questioned the minister for leaving the sector in bad shape while sending his children abroad to study, asking him to vacate his office since he could not resolve the crisis between ASUU and the government.

The minister, who was unhappy about the students’ attacks, expressed his disappointment with their comments and walked out of the meeting.

Speaking on the minister’s reaction, Asefon said, “We only asked the minister one or two questions about what the government is doing to resolve the impasse when he angrily left us and went inside.”