The National Association of Nigerian Students has today urged the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration to look into the crisis rocking the educational system in the nation which has seen to a lingering seven-month old strike.
In a press statement issued by the newly sworn-in president of the association, Chidi Ilogebe, the association said the only way the federal government can ensure that it depopulates the high numbers of youths who are on the streets protesting and fronting the EndSARS movement is by ensuring that students are adequately returned to the classrooms across the 36 states of the federation.
According to him, “the government desires that the protests be depopulated, the best way is to reopen our
campuses. This does not mean that we condemn the motive of the protests. The cases
of police brutality generally got out of hand and was worthy to be protested against
however, we believe it will be better for Nigeria as a country that the youths are in
classrooms breaking new grounds than on the streets protesting. This call means that
the government should step up its response to the demands and be more proactive. At
least killer SARS officers who had been identified directly with some of these atrocities
and who are still walking free should be immediately arrested and paraded. This move
we believe will help de-escalate tension and assuage the protesters.”
The body through the office of its president also gave the Federal Government  a 7 day ultimatum to ensure that the strike is called off.
“We urge the Federal Government to resolve all issues with the ASUU within the next 7
days and also call on the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 to quicken process of
releasing the comprehensive protocols that will allow Nigerian tertiary institutions to
reopen for lectures,” said Ilogebe.