Students of Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Kogi State, on Monday, appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) not to resume its strike until after their (university’s) second semester exams.
The students’ plea came on the heels of ASUU’s congress meeting on Monday deliberating on Federal Government’s failure to pay its members’ salaries after resuming work on October 14 from its 8 months strike.
A cross-section of the students, who made the plea while speaking to NAN in Lokoja, said it would be disastrous if their exams scheduled to commence on November 14 would not hold.
A Political Science student, Joy Abuh, said her prayer was that Monday’s ASUU congress would not end up with the resumption of the suspended strike.
“We have just settled down after the strike suspension and seriously preparing for our second semester exams starting next Monday.
“It will be disastrous for us in FUL if the exams will not hold as scheduled, considering the eight months we have wasted at home.
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“My fervent prayer is that the union will not declare any strike at the end of their meeting today in Abuja,” Abuh said.
Another student from the Department of Education, Adeiza Ibrahim, lamented the effects of any further strike on the Nigerian students and called for a rethink from ASUU to allow academic activities continue while they settle their differences with the government.
“I think much damage has been done to the nation’s education system and there should be due consideration for a turn of new leaf because we’re talking about our future, the youths of this country.
“If at the end, we won’t be allowed to write this semester exams, then it will be so terrible and devastating,” Ibrahim said.
A 100-level student of Chemistry Education, Apeyemi Abubakar, said: “All we are begging for is for ASUU to allow us write this examination without any hindrance.
“We have stayed home longer than necessary and now that we are back in campus, the Federal Government and ASUU should not allow anything to tamper with our educational pursuits anymore.”
However, FUL ASUU Chairman, Dr Joshua Silas, said: “We have no power of our own as a chapter to disobey our national body if it asks us to resume strike today, November 7.
“As I speak with you, I am already in Abuja for ASUU’s congress meeting holding today. Everything will rest on the outcome of the congress.”
Silas said if eventually they resumed the strike after today’s congress, “I will indeed sympathise with our students, whose timetable for the second semester exams is out and commencing Monday, November 14 with all things being equal.”
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