OAU students protest ASUU strike, block Ife-Ibadan Expressway

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, under the aegis of Fund Education Coalition on Thursday, blocked the Ife-Ibadan Expressway to protest the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The students, who had converged at the main gate of the university in the early hours of the day, moved to the major highway later in continuation of their protest.

They vowed to continue the protests from untill their demands would be met by the Federal Government.

They carried placards with various inscriptions such as; “Fund education now”, “Education is not a scam” among others, as they chanted “End ASUU strike”. 

It was gathered that the protesting students were joined by some concerned members of the public. 

One of the protesting students, Olugbade Majeed said they would continue to stage protests until government signed the initial agreement it had with the ASUU.

Majeed said: “We are protesting because the government has failed the educational system in Nigeria. And they have not met the demands of ASUU which they had signed since 2009. We have been at home for three months. 

“This particular government has been showing nonchalant attitude towards education by engaging in electoral activities while students are at home idle. You will agree with me that an idle hand is the devil’s workshop. 

“We don’t want to be turned to criminal elements; we don’t want to be turned to Yahoo Yahoo. We don’t want to be turned to prostitutes and that’s why we are agitating for our right.

“We are on the street to let our voices be heard because we cannot continue to suffer in silence. Nothing has worked out under this government. No security. We are all aware that nowhere is safe in this country. Yet, government does not deem it fit to respond positively to the challenges confronting the education sector in the country.

“If there is proper education in Nigeria, there won’t be security threats as we’re having now, because proper and well educated persons will shy away from criminal activities.”

It would be recalled that ASUU on Monday announced the extension of its three months old strike by another three months.