The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was beseeched by Federal University Lokoja (FUL) students on Monday to postpone the start of its strike until after the second-semester exams at their institution.
The student's appeal followed Monday's congress meeting of ASUU, where members discussed whether the federal government had actually failed to pay their salaries after returning to work on October 14 after an eight-month strike.
A variety of pupils agreed that it would be awful if the tests that were supposed to start on November 14 didn't.
Political science student Joy Abuh said she hoped Monday's ASUU congress wouldn't result in the strike's suspension being reinstated.
“It will be disastrous for us in FUL if the exams will not hold as scheduled, considering the eight months we have wasted at home. My fervent prayer is that the union will not declare any strike at the end of their meeting today in Abuja,” she said.
Another student, Adeiza Ibrahim, with the Department of Education, lamented the effects of any further strike on the Nigerian students and called for a rethink from ASUU to allow academic activities to continue while they settled their differences with the government.
“I think much damage has been done to the nation’s education system, and there should be due consideration for a turn of the new leaf because we’re talking about our future, the youths of this country,” Ms Ibrahim asserted.
Adeyemi Abubakar, a 100 Level Chemistry Education student, said “all we are begging for is for ASUU to allow us to write this examination without any hindrance.”
But Joshua Silas, FUL ASUU chairman, admitted that “we have no power of our own as a chapter to disobey our national body if it asks us to resume strike today, November 7.”
“As I speak with you, I am already in Abuja for ASUU’s congress meeting held today. Everything will rest on the outcome of the congress,” stated Mr Silas.
He added that if ASUU resumed its suspended strike after today’s congress, “I will indeed sympathise with our students, whose timetable for the second-semester exams is out and commencing Monday, November 14, with all things being equal.”
(NAN)