Students of public universities took to the streets on Wednesday, 4 May, in Benin City, Nigeria, to demand an end to the ongoing strike being carried out by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The students were from various tertiary institutes in Edo state, including Ambrose Alli University, the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Ekpoma (AAU), said the strike, which has been going on for three months, has halted the academic calendars of students and has also delayed the completion dates of their individual degree programs.
They are disappointed with the dilemma between the Nigerian academic body and the government, the students of the Oba Ovonramwen Square, therefore halting vehicular movements from bordering roads like Akpakpava, mission, forestry, among other roads.
They requested the Federal Government to settle the issue of the ASUU strike permanently and invest in their education, highlighting that government-owned universities are the only system that helps the children of the masses.
President of the Students Union of Government (SUG) of UNIBEN, Foster Amadin, said the strike was halting the dreams of students of Nigeria while the government is going about their electoral processes and the striking lecturers are about their personal businesses.
“We want to express our grievances regarding the ongoing ASUU strike because we have stayed at home for over 79 days. We are not for ASUU, nor are we fighting for or against anybody, all we know and all we want is to go back to our classes.”
“We do not want to stay at home anymore. We have stagnated academically. All we want and all we are requesting for is that we want to go back to our classes; we want to study and graduate.
“Most students are of the age 30 years already. When they are already 30, they find it challenging to get a good job, and they cannot even take part in the compulsory one year National Youth Services Corps (NYSC). When you are requesting for a job, they will tell you to bring your NYSC clearance certificate”, Amadin stated.
Abumere Joseph, a pupil of Ambrose Alli University, said, “For the last three months, we have not attended our classes, and I am supposed to graduate, but as it stands now, I do not think I will graduate. I have been in one level for nearly two years, and it is not good.
