Students Shut Federal Secretariat In Ibadan To Protest Against Lecturers Strike.

Over Hundred Students of tertiary institutions in Oyo State on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest against the ongoing strike, embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by shutting down the Federal Secretariat, located in Ikolaba area of Ibadan.

The protesting students were seen carrying placards with various inscriptions such as “Education is Right, Not a Privilege”, “I sha want to graduate sha”, “We are tired of staying at Home”, and Education is a Right, it should be free for all” among others

The protesters who converge around 8 am in front of the University of Ibadan (UI) proceeded to the Secretariat, paralyzing activities within the area, ensuring all roads leading to the Secretariat were blocked as motorists were forced to take alternative routes.

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The President of the Students Union Government (SUG), University of Ibadan(UI), Adewole Adeyinka while speaking during the protest stated that over 40,000 students of the institution were forced to stay at home due to the industrial action.

The Student Union President said, ‘students are in total support of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) because they are the one fighting for their right that is why University education should be revitalized ‘.

The student leader, however, declared that students would continue to occupy the Secretariat and turned it into classrooms and playing ground if Federal Government failed to meet their demands.

The protesters posited that there should be a way in which the Nigerian educational system should not be in shamble, not only during the strike, but the Nigerian Government should be listening to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Commenting on the unrest, the Special Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Students Affairs, Comrade Victor Olojede said the peaceful protest started last week with various students groups to show their displeasure to the Nigerian Government, over the failure to meet the demand of their lecturers

The Governor’s aide, however, appealed to the Nigeria Government to listen to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) before the industrial action gets out of hand, adding that the Oyo State government is also working to ensure that the prolonged strike comes to an end.