With the ongoing strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities entering its second week, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Abia Chapter on Monday marched through the streets of Umuahia protesting against the industrial action.
The protesters who displayed various placards with different inscriptions, appealed to the Federal Government to negotiate with the striking teachers in order to end the action.
Some of the placards read: “Government don’t commercialise education,” “Save education, save the future,” “Seven per cent budgetary allocation is a misplaced priority,” amongst others.
The South East NANS Representative, Cokey Nwachukwu, said that the students were tired of idling away at home and anxious to return to school.
“Some of us are supposed to be doing four or five-year courses but as it is now, the years are likely to be extended because of the strike.
“Most of us that are supposed to be mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps are now sitting at home.
“Very soon, they will tell us they are going for general elections and will alter our academic calendar,” he said.
The students also called on the government to urgently address the security challenges in the country, particularly in the North-East.
According to him, most of our members in Kaduna and some other parts of the North are no longer in school due to fear of Boko Haram.
The nation-wide protest by NANS coincided with the International Students’ Day.