ASUU strike: Group rallies support for mass protest to save education

Nigerians have been urged to prepare for a mass rally to compel the Federal Government to release funds for the implementation of the agreement it reached with the striking university lecturers. Joint Action Front (JAF), a pro - labour civil coalition, who made the appeal, said with millions of students sitting idly at home because of the on - going strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), coupled with the President Goodluck Jonathan's government reluctance to accede to the lecturers' demand, the situation may linger unless it’s compelled through "mass action" to do the right thing. JAF - Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Aremu, said in Abeokuta that government should be held responsible for the spate of strikes at the nation's education sector and asked Nigerians to join in the mobilisation to "save public education" in the country. Aremu said: "JAF is committed to the nationwide, zonal and state protests until the Government is compelled to give Public Education the priority attention it deserves and urge all students, workers in formal and informal sectors, parents and pro-people organisations across the country to join the mass mobilisation to save public education. "Students from the Universities have been home since July 1st because of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike action. For 3 months, polytechnic students had their academic calendar disrupted for similar reasons. "The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) just last week had a warning strike. All these have implication for disruption of the academic calendars, falling standards of education at all levels, a high level of general insecurity and a bleak future for the current generation and the Nigerian Child." At the press briefing attended by representatives of ASUU, students, civil society organisations among others, The JAF - Secretary said the mass protest to sensitize Nigerians to the dangers in the steady destruction of the educational sector by the Federal Government is slated to hold in Abeokuta, on Thursday, this week while similar one would take place in Kano later. He said: "except we mobilise Nigerians to resist the government, to compel the government to bring the money, the government will not budge in its unwillingness or reluctance to fund education adequately in Nigeria." Source: Worldstage

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