Following the three-month extension of the ASUU strike, the National Association of Nigerian Students announced on Monday that it would shut down the country's national parliament, federal roadways, and airports.
In a statement, NANS President Sunday Asefon denounced President Muhammadu Buhari's regime's passivity over the industrial action that began on February 14, 2022.
Asefon stated that students at public colleges will disrupt primary elections and political party conventions slated for the end of May.
The government's failure to implement the Memorandum of Action it signed with the union in December 2020 on renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, Earned Academic Allowances, funding for revitalisation of public universities, and withheld salaries, among other things, prompted the union to take new industrial action.
In a statement, NANS denounced the government's silence and authorities' failure to strike an agreement with ASUU since they couldn't afford private schools for their children.
'ASUU Strike Extension: The Government and the Ruling Class's Silence; the Nation Must Feel the Heat,' said the statement.
"Having exhausted all windows of constructive dialogue with the government," Asefon said in part. As a result, I, on behalf of NANS' national leadership, announce National Action beginning May 10, 2023.
"The National Actions are dubbed 'Operation Test Run,' and will take place across the Federation's 36 states. Every day, federal roadways in all 36 states must be occupied for at least three hours. The operation will serve as a warm-up for a comprehensive shutdown, which will be decided during our Senate meeting/pre-convention on Saturday, May 14, 2022.
"On the 14th, we propose to Congress that we shut down all airport roads across the country, disrupt all political party primaries, and shut down the national parliament until they agree to passing laws prohibiting public officials from sending their children to university abroad."
"All JCC Chairmen, Zonal Leaderships, and stakeholders are directed to respond appropriately and ensure 100% compliance with the directive of 'Operation Test Run' shut down the federal roadways in your State, the nation must feel the heat," reads the release.
NANS had previously threatened the Federal Government with fire and brimstone for abandoning public university students, but politicians, including present ministers, have snubbed the striking professors and protesting students.
However, while lecture rooms were closed for about three months this year, the ruling All Progressives Congress's Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, and Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, both picked up the party's N100 million presidential nomination and expression of interest forms.
When ASUU and the Federal Government clashed in 2020 over unpaid areas, payment systems, and other sensitive topics, students at public universities were also forced to stay at home for nine months.
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