ASUU Strike: UNIABUJA students offer to pay lecturers

After pleading with the Federal Government and the striking lecturers to no avail, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), have vowed to embark on a fund raising mission to pay the lecturers of the University of Abuja Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

According to the Chairman NANS (FCT), Comrade Adediwura Ismaeel Adesina: “So far Nigerian students have tried their best and we have realized that Nigerian government and ASUU have exhausted our patience. We went on different peaceful protests in FCT for them to know our plights and at the end of the day nothing was done. ASUU continues to agitate for this money even as the Federal Government keeps saying that there is no money. We begged ASUU to return to classes it refused while our future is in jeopardy. That is why the National Association of Nigerian Students, Joint Campuses Committee FCT axis now decided that since that is the case, the students can pay ASUU. ”

He said since the entire NANS can no longer reach a consensus on the ASUU strike, the FCT chapter decided to tackle on the challenges of the University of Abuja that is within its jurisdiction.
On how the students will raise the money, Adesina said: “The stakeholders and NANS of FCT have now declared a month rag service in FCT. We will move around from November 1 to the end of November. We will move from one office to another, streets and different markets. We will talk to our parents, talk to our brothers around FCT and we know from the one month rag days, we will be able to raise substantial amount to pay ASUU.”

He explained that since the FCT NANS does not have the financial capacity to pay the entire ASUU, it will battle to settle the only university in the territory-University of Abuja.
He promised that for transparency and accountability, the union will announce its daily collections on radios and televisions stations.