NANS Begs Fashola, Daniel To End Lecturers’ Strike

National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has appealed to Governors Babatunde  Fashola and Gbenga Daniel of Lagos and Ogun states, respectively to put machineries  in motion to end lecturers’ strike in their states.

The lecturers embarked on strike over the unwillingness of the two state governments  to implement the New Salary Scheme, NSS.

NANS Zone D Co-coordinator, Mr. Eniola Opeyemi at a news conference in Lagos, South  West Nigeria said that the strike in Lagos had not only paralysed academic  activities of over three million students but had the tendency to increase  hooliganism and crime in the states.

According to him, there is the need for the two governments to return to the  negotiating table and negotiate with the lecturers in order to end the strike.

“The Federal Government, supported by state governments, implemented the NSS. Edo  State, among others, have implemented the scheme. There is no doubt that the Lagos  State government has been a centre of excellence and pace setter in the nation at  large. NANS plead with the state governor to return to the negotiating table,” he  stated.

He accused the Gbenga Daniel’s administration of refusing to implement the NSS and  playing politics with the issue.

“The Gbenga Daniel-led administration has not put the interest of the students into  consideration,” he said.

On cultism at the Lagos State University and others, Opeyemi said NANS would work  with security agencies and the school management to ensure that the trend was  checked.

Speaking on the forthcoming polls, the NANS co-coordinator dissociated his faction  of the association from the endorsement of any party or candidate for the elections,  saying that its position was for students to go out and register and vote for  credible candidates.

“NANS is not a political party and will not in any way compromise its stand because  of the elections. Any group who does it is doing so in its own interest and not in  the interest of the students.

“No candidate should expect NANS to declare support for him or her. We only urge our  members to shun any act of hooliganism and resist any attempt by any party or  candidate to use them as instruments for political violence,” he stated.

Senate President of NANS, Comrade Ahmed Agbabiaka noted that the association was  facing a big challenge of impersonation as most politicians have been sponsoring  individuals to speak for the association in order to promote their interest.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga