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The National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS) President, Asefon Sunday, in a statement, expressed “great disappointment” at the “comprehensive and total” four-week strike declared by ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke.

In the statement titled, ‘ASUU Warning Strike: A Reckless Irresponsibility’, signed by the NANS President, Asefon said, “We have received the news of the decision of ASUU to embark on a month warning strike with great disappointment. We have thought ASUU and FG represented by top executives would allow reason to prevail, reached compromise, act responsibly in the interest of the education sector and indeed Nigeria, to do all that is required to responsibly avert this avoidable strike.

“We are appalled by the impunity, recklessness, and irresponsibility the managers of this negotiation from both sides of the table has managed the fragile situation allowing it to degenerate to the level of industrial action. We are therefore compelled to believe that negotiators from both sides acted so irresponsibly because of their apathy of the interest and welfare of the major stakeholder of the sector(students) during the negotiations.

“We are equally disappointed at the government for not doing everything possible to avert this embarrassment. We are also disappointed with the ASUU for reaching this conclusion irrespective of the implications to the students, academic calendar, research they claim to love, national security, and sanity. The Government and ASUU by this action sent a direct message to Nigerian students to also take positions comfortable for our side of the table irrespective of the implications. Let me say equivocally that we will respond in clear language, the language the oppressors understand.

“I passionately appeal to all students leaders, NANS structures, and organs across the nation to mobilize to our national non-elective congress on the 17th of February where far-reaching decisions shall be made on our collective response to this blatant lack of patriotism, human feelings, and feelings for the collective future of education in Nigeria.

“Our decisions shall be decisive, collective, and irreversible until the strike is called off. We shall fight this impunity and recklessness without any consideration other than an immediate end to this strike.

“We, therefore, inform the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, to expect us in our numbers, and ASUU should be ready to return to the table to end this avoidable, reckless and repugnant strike. Let me assure the Minister of Labour that our protest in his office today is introductory and child play in what is yet to come. We are resolute more than before to ensure we hold government, especially the ministry of labour responsible for these incessant strike actions.

“Further negotiations should as a matter of urgency have students representative as part of the parties to allow balance in decisions that are capable of impairing the lives of students and derailing their progress. The contentions and issues are triangular and must be treated so, going forward.”

The strike was declared at a press conference addressed by the President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke.

He said the strike, which takes effect from Monday, February 14, 2022, would last for an initial period of four weeks.

According to him, the union tried to avoid the strike but the Federal Government was unresponsive to the union’s demands.

The ASUU chairman also said ASUU NEC faulted the creation of new universities.

He said, “NEC resolved to embark on the four-week roll-over total and comprehensive strike as the government has failed to implement the Memorandum of Action it signed with the ASUU in December 2020.

“We invite all lovers of education to join our struggle for a greater Nigeria. Nigerian politicians keep proliferating educational institutions without prioritising education.

“ASUU will not relent in its historic responsibility of advocating an improved university system.

“This is because it holds the key to our collective prosperity and better future for our children and our children’s children; so, let us work together to fix it.”

Osodeke asked the Federal Government to caution the Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede,  over the unpaid Earned Academic Allowances of its members in the university.

“We have an agreed template with the Federal Government but the VC refused to pay. Failure to pay using that template is a misappropriation. He should be cautioned,” the ASUU president said.

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board decision came barely 24 hours after the board confirmed that it would not reschedule its registration process following the suspension of the verification portal of the National Identity Number due to hitches.

The board, in a statement, claimed that the postponement for the exercise which was initially scheduled to commence on February 12 was due to “fine-tuning”.

The statement by the board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, partly read, “The process, which will be concluded within the one-week extension period, is also aimed at accommodating feedback from candidates and other stakeholders alike.”

“Further to the above, the new and improved procedures for the 2022 UTME Registration would be made available on the Board’s website, its weekly bulletin as well as other media outlets on Monday, 14th February, 2022.

“The candidates, are by this notice, urged to follow keenly the procedures for registration as would be announced by the Board,” the statement added.

Punch