The National Association of Nigerian Students on Thursday besieged the Federal Secretariat, Abuja demanding to meet the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, to reverse the recent sack of 13 vice-chancellors.
The students, chanting solidarity songs, demanded that Adamu must come out of his office to meet them.
The News Agency of Nigeria Education Correspondent reports that the students carried placards with various inscriptions: “Nigerian Students Say No to Abuse of University Rules and Processes”; “Universities not National Cake. Re-instate our Vice-Chancellors”, among others.
But the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, saved the day, promising to facilitate a meeting between NANS and the minister.
Okojie told the students that dialogue was a better way of resolving problems rather than resorting to protests and violence.
NANS had recently issued a two-week ultimatum to the minister to reverse the removal of the vice-chancellors or face their wrath.
Okojie, however, was able to prevail on the students to embrace dialogue in their bid to send their message across.
He said: “Your conduct is important.
“Each time I hear that there is protest and properties are destroyed, I feel disturbed.
“Who owns the property?
“When academic staff or any other union goes on strike, students are the ones that suffer.
“All the stakeholders have been meeting recently on how to revamp the education system.
“The minister has been receiving briefs from all the 21 parastatals under the ministry.
“We are looking at the issues.
“I can get you an appointment to meet the minister over the issue and also submit your letter to him.”
The President of NANS, Tijani Shehi, said the students held Okojie in high esteem, describing him as an astute administrator.
Shehi said the students would abide by Okojie’s suggestion with a viewing to having a meeting with the minister and getting him to reverse the removal of the vice-chancellors.
He said: “We all at this point in time give you the benefit of doubt to fashion a way we can meet with the minister within 48 hours.
“We will still deposit our protest letter to you to present to the minister.
“Let him study it before we meet him.”
On February 13, Adamu announced the removal of vice-chancellors of 13 universities and the appointment of new ones.
The affected universities are the Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State; Federal University, Lokoja in Kogi State; Federal University, Kashere in Gombe State; and Federal University, Wakari in Taraba State.
Others are the Federal University, Dutsin-ma in Katsina State; Federal University, Dutse in Jigawa State; Federal University, Otuoke in Bayelsa State; Federal University, Ndufe-Alike in Ebonyi State; and the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti in Ekiti State.
Also affected are Federal University Gashua in Yobe State; Federal University, Gasau in Zamfara State; Federal University, Kebbi; and the National Open University of Nigeria.
NAN.
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