By Blessing Michael,
In continuation of their protest against the ongoing industrial action, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) came out in their numbers on Monday, September 19, 2022 demonstrating the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The students’ mass action defied the rain and blocked access roads to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
SpyeTV News reporter said, travelers, airport users, and motorists using the Ajao Estate link road to the International Airport were stranded as the students blocked all roads leading to the airport.
We also gathered that the students blocked the way to the terminal of Muritala International Airport with their vehicles, singing solidarity songs. They besieged the area as early as 7am on Monday, carrying placards and chanting songs showing their grievances concerning the on-going strike.
Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (ADC), also reportedly joined Nigerian students in protesting the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUUongoing )’s strike.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to disrupt activities at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Apapa and the free flow of traffic on Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos if the Federal Government does not end the prolonged ASUU strike.
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The student body made good its threat of grounding activities at international airports earlier today.
The protest restricted vehicular movement, affecting the entire axis, while air passengers also had trouble getting in and out of the airport as they scrambled to make their flights.
The students had last week barricaded the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Ibadan-Ife Road over the lingering strike.
In statement signed by its Chairman, NANS National Taskforce on #EndASUUStrikeNow, Ojo Raymond, on Monday, the student body said it is ready to go on a week-long protest till the Federal Government meet its demands.
According to NANS, the protest at the MMIA is just a preamble of what is to come in days ahead.
The statement read: “For the past few days, we have been protesting simultaneously round the states of the country to protest the continued ASUU strike which has lasted over seven months as a result of the ‘crass irresponsibility’ of the Federal Government to fulfil the terms of the agreement they willingly signed with ASUU.
“As an association, we are saddened by this development which has resulted in the closure of universities. And, this act, we believe, is deliberate by the Federal Government to deny the children of the common Nigerian access to quality education which violates the provisions of Chapter two of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“We are using this medium to reiterate that this protest continues and that we will not for any reason back down until the Federal Government takes the educational sector as a priority. It is quite pathetic that the Federal Government is making use of the armed forces to quench a genuine struggle of Nigerian students despite the fact that these officers are also victims of the system whose children are also affected the same way we are.
“Today’s protest at Muritala Muhammed International Airport (Domestic and International wings) is just a preamble of what is to come in days ahead. And, we are informing the general public and the international community to pay serious attention to this struggle because we have been duly informed of the plan of the Federal Government to mobilise heavily against this protest.
“This was even witnessed today as anti-riot police officers and men of the Air Force were mobilised to attack us not until they were prevented by the mass of Nigerian students.
“We maintain that this protest shall last a week here in Lagos State and would be held simultaneously at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Nigerian Ports Authority and the third mainland bridge until our demands are met”.