Students from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) stormed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos to press the government to end the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, which has lasted nearly seven months.
NANS had previously stated that due to the ongoing strike, it will ground operations at local and international airports across the country beginning Monday, September 18.
It stated that its decision to ground airport operations was based on the success of its road protest, which resulted in the closure of several highways.
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The leadership of NANS, which spoke in Akure, the Ondo State capital, said the grounding of airports was to make the rich share in the pains of the students occasioned by the prolonged strike action.
Chairman, NANS National Task Force on ‘End ASUU Strike Now,’ Ojo Raymond Olumide, said students were tired of pleading with both parties to end the strike.
Olumide cautioned ASUU not to call off the strike after any increment in their salary but to insist on other demands that led to the strike action.
According to him, “We shall begin another round of protest next week by storming the airspaces on Monday, 19th September 2022 to #OccupyTheAirports. We want to let the world know about the pains and anguish students are going through.
“Nigerian students whose parents created the commonwealth cannot continue to be suffering at home alongside our lecturers while the few who gain from our sweat and blood have their kids abroad.
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“We call on students to rise and join us as we take our destinies into our hands. Our demands remain consistently clear and simple. We call on ASUU leadership for a meeting as soon as possible to discuss solidarity actions and plan for the next phase of the struggles.”
He explained the students’ body need not inform the police about the planned protest to ground airports because they were not subjected to security agencies
