Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret.) faced fresh criticism from Nigerian student leaders on Thursday as a result of the protracted strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities. As a result of their inability to end the strike in the prescribed two weeks, the leaders operating under the auspices of the Council of Student Union Presidents urged that the President fire Ministers Adamu Adamu of education and Chris Ngige of labor and employment. The CSUPs, which were made up of the presidents of the student union governments at more than 100 universities in Nigeria, also bemoaned the continued deaths of students caused by bandit attacks as a result of the strike-related extension of their time at home.
Ishaka Yahaya, the president of the SUG and convener of the CSUPs at the Federal University of Technology in Minna, told journalists that if the strike was not called off, there would be widespread unrest in the nation. The two ministries were given a two-week deadline by Buhari to end the strike by ASUU and other university-based unions. Due to what they claim is the Federal Government’s inability to accept their demands, ASUU went on strike on February 14 and was soon supported by other unions.
Yahaya claimed that several students who were supposed to be in class but ended up working other jobs were abducted and killed as a result. He urged the government to consider and address the demands of ASUU so that the students may go back to school. Yahaya added that students from Nigeria, who ordinarily should be in school learning, were instead engaging in thuggery, drug addiction, and prostitution as a result of the strike action.
He claimed that because Nigerian colleges and students have been exposed to insecurity, kidnapping by bandits had become an everyday occurrence. The federal government is now urged to respond to ASUU’s requests as soon as possible, as failing to do so will force us to continue our peaceful protest despite the deteriorating security situation.
Joshua Adankala, the SUG president at the University of Jos, also recalled the case of Ogbomosho, a 500-level student at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, who was abducted and killed after paying a ransom. Naajim Gbefwi, the SUG president of Nasarawa State University in Keffi, urged the government to give priority to education for Nigerian students.
According to Gbefwi, the government should prioritize student education rather than giving money to another nation to buy cars.
