ASUP Strike: NANS Appeals To Lecturers

The National Association
of Nigerian Students (NANS) has appealed to the striking lecturers of polytechnics and colleges of education to end their industrial action.
The association’s coordinator for Zone ‘B’, Mr Ikechukwu Okorie, made the appeal in Abakaliki  in an interview with newsmen.
Okorie called for dialogue between the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) and the government, saying that remained the best option in dispute resolution
“The great Nigerian students commend the unflinching zeal of our lecturers in their struggle to enthrone a better environment for learning.
“We commend their courage and commitment to this vital struggle and determination to ensure qualitative higher education in the country.
“However, we appeal to them in the interest of parents and students who are at the receiving end of the dispute to urgently call off the strike.
“We urge them to embrace dialogue and go back to the negotiation table with the government to sort out the grey areas,’’  Okorie  appealed.
The students’ leader expressed sadness with the lingering strike and said the association had taken steps to bring it to an end.
“The executive and legislative organs of the students’ body have been working tirelessly to ensure that the crisis is amicably resolved.
“We have met with the leadership of the striking unions as well as the federal government officials and appealed to them to reach a compromise.
“We also canvassed the intervention of prominent Nigerians across economic, religious and political divides and we received good assurances from them.
“We met with Mr Jude Imagwe, the Senior Special Adviser to Mr President on Youths and Students Matters and he assured us of his personal intervention.
“We are indeed mounting pressure on all parties concerned in the ongoing strike to bring it to an end,’’ he said.
Okorie said the association would continue to support President  Goodluck  Jonathan in his transformation agenda, especially in the education sector.
NANS zone ‘B’ comprises of tertiary institutions in the South East and South South geopolitical zones.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the lecturers embarked on the strike in August 2013 and December 2013 following the alleged non-implementation of agreements they reached with the Federal Government.