NANS vows to stage mass protest if ASUU resumes strike

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) says it would embark on mass protest if the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) resumes its recently suspended strike.

Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU president, had on Wednesday “conditionally” called off the union’s 9-month-old strike.

He, however, warned that the union would embark on another industrial action if the federal government fails to honour its agreement with it.

The development has since ignited heated controversies, with many students calling out the federal government and the union for constantly halting academic activities in public varsities.

Reacting to the development on Thursday, Sunday Asefon, NANS president, said the body would not hesitate to declare mass action if ASUU resumes its strike as threatened.

“If they resume strike, we Nigerian students will also resume our mass action that was earlier suspended conditionally. So, if they embark on another strike, we will also embark on shutting down the system as we earlier vowed,” he told TheCable Lifestyle.

He, however, expressed optimism that ASUU would not resume its strike, considering how students have stayed at home for months.

“l can assure you that ASUU will not embark on another strike. The federal government will honour its agreement with the union,” he added.

“As a sister union, ASUU knows that students have been at home for long and are not happy about that. The lecturers have missed the students and vice versa, so its nice for them to reunite again.”

The NANS president went on to enjoin the federal government and ASUU to find amicable ways of addressing issues to avoid incessant strikes.