The
students of the Kogi State University, Anyigba yesterday brought commercial
activities in the state Capital, Lokoja to a standstill as they embarked on a
peaceful protest over the the three month-old strike by lecturers of the
school.
Members
of the institution's chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had embarked on the strike over
alleged unresolved salary issues with the state government.
The
students in their numbers occupied the popular Ganaja Junction as early as
8.30am, paralysing business activities in parts of Lokoja.
They
demanded for immediate resolution of the impasse between ASUU and the state
government and ASUU, saying that their concern remains the immediate reopening
of the university.
They
lamented that they have over stayed at home, saying that those who are expected
to graduate will miss the annual NYSC programmes.
In
apparent dissatisfaction with the leadership of the student union body
interventions, the students said they will not shift the ground, chanting
anti-establishment songs, just as they demanded the immediate resolution of the
logjam.
"We
want immediate resolution to the lingering crisis. We have over stayed at home.
When it started, we thought it would be addressed immediately. Now we have
spent three months at home while all other institutions in neighbouring states
are graduating", they stated.
Efgorts
by the National President of the National Association of Nigeria Students whose
name was not immediately made available to journalists was turned down by the
students, as they alleged that the union leaders may been settled by the
government.
Similarly
the angry mobs also manhandled the President of SUG who was trying to address
the crowd, stating that his in actions has caused the students "three
months at home".
Also,
efforts by the State Commissioner of Police (CP) Yakubu Usman, the Director of
State Security Service (SSS) and state Commandant of the Nigeria Security and
Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to pacify the students were rebluff, as they
insisted that they will only dialogue Governor Yahaya Bello.
They
however later soft peddalled, as they listened to tge SSS boss, but insisted
that the university must be reopened before they will agree to go back to
Anyinba.
Travellers
passing tgrough the state capital were worse off for it, as those caught up in
the protest were stranded, as the angry students barricaded roads leading the
Eastern part of the stat and the South East and South South parts of the
country.
Efforts
to speak with government officials at the scene proved abortive as they refused
to talk, just as the students refused to dialogue with them.
It would
recalled that the institution's chapter of ASUU have been at loggerheads with
the state government over unpaid salary and eventually embarked on the strike.
The
state government said it has paid four
months salary arrears to the striking workers but ASUU insisted that the it
offset all before it can return to work.
The
state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Mohammed Awwal at a press conference
however appealed to the striking lecturers to return to the classrooms.
He
appealed with them to return to the classrooms for the sake of the students.
"The
ASUU strike affects not just the psyche of the students, but also causes
further stress to the parents and ultimately tarnishes the reputation of our
great state. ASUU is reminded that they were the first to be paid even when
government could access only 40 percent of the bailout funds requested",
he stated.
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