The National Association of Nigerian Students has said that its decision to block highways over the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities won’t stop until students are called back to their classrooms.
The union spoke as the Federal Government declared the blockage of the expressways as a violation of the laws.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, said this on Wednesday in Abuja after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.
This was also as the NANS made its position on the issue known in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The NANS National Public Relations Officer, Giwa Yisa, spoke during the Day 2 of the protest by the students to demand the reopening of universities.
Yisa said: “It is embarrassing that for the past seven months, Nigerian students have been denied access to education.
“This deliberate act insults the collective intelligence of Nigerian students, both home and in the diaspora.
“It shows the lackadaisical attitude of the ruling elite towards the plight of the Nigerian people.
“No one could have imagined there would be a time in the history of this country when ivory towers would be under lock and key as a result of governmental crass irresponsibility.
“Alas, it is happening right in our time.
“But, as Nigerian students, we owe it a duty to this generation and generations unborn to bequeath to them better days so that they won’t see the present abnormalities as the norm.
“The response of the Federal Government through the Ministries of Labour and Education, headed by Chris Ngige and Adamu Adamu respectively, reeks of arrogance and ignorance.
“This has further shown this government lacks the feeling of empathy and humanness.
“In furthering our demands, we declare this agitation shall be sustained to the latter.
“We have begun a significant action and we shall sustain it till our demands are met.
“We pass a vote of no confidence in both ministers of labour and education.
“We call for the proper funding of the educational sector as against what has been attainable in the past seven years.
“We call on the President Buhari government to pay all outstanding arrears and salaries of the lecturers.
“The policy of ‘No Work No Pay’ is a Fascist one.
“It’s therefore condemnable and not acceptable to all the millions of students in Nigeria.
“We will, by this statement, not beg again.
“We will be mobilising all students to shut down the country – without excluding the Presidential Villa.”