NANS to sue FG, education minister over ASUU strike

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has said it is consulting with legal advisers to institute legal action against the Federal Government and the Minister of Education to claim damages for the ongoing strike.

NANS President, Sunday Asefon, in a statement issued on Thursday, said students heed the advice credited to the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to claim liabilities suffered as a result of the lingering strike.

“Perhaps the only thing Malam Adamu Adamu has gotten right since he became a Minister is the fact that Nigerian students needed to be compensated for their wasted time, opportunities, and resources.

“However, the Minister was clever by half by suggesting ASUU should be held liable for the liabilities. ASUU is neither the proprietor of our tertiary institutions nor the beneficiary of the exorbitant fees we pay across our tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

“It is an abuse of intellect to suggest that students should sue employees for protesting bad working conditions and not the employer who is the proprietor of our schools and the beneficiary of the exorbitant school fees we pay.

READ ALSO: Minister to students: Take ASUU to court for time wasted

“Since Nigerian students do not think like the Minister, and can separate what is right from wrong, we would yield the advice of the minister, and explore legal windows for compensation of our students for numerous liabilities suffered as a result of the incessant and prolonged ASUU strike,” Asefon said.

He further stated that although certain losses are unquantifiable, those quantifiable losses such as house rents, research losses, and time, among others can be claimed.

He said: “While our losses in terms of lost opportunities as a result of time wasted might not be quantifiable, our losses as regards private hostel accommodations’ payments, research work losses, foreign admission losses, extra year resulting in miss of NYSC service opportunity are liabilities that can be quantified and liabilities accounted.

“We have therefore decided to take the advice of the Minister to seek legal redress for the liabilities suffered. We would, therefore, consult with our legal advisers to see what options are available for us to explore, legally, against the Federal Government and Minister of Education.”

The Star