National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS)

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged the federal government to stop treating tertiary education across the country with levity.

The student union gave the charge on Monday in Minna when it protested the shutdown of academic activities in some federal universities by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASSU).

ASSU had three weeks ago mobilised its members on an industrial strike, demanding the release of N1.1 trillion to fund public universities.

The students in a peaceful protest tagged: ‘Save Education Rally’ decried incessant strikes in the education sector and called on the federal government to shift ground on the matter.

They bear placards with inscriptions such as: “FG should meet up their agreement with COEASU”, “Nigerian students are tired of unstable education”, “Save education save the future”, “stop mortgaging our future”, “Education is the future we have”, “No nation can survive without good education”.

NANS Zone A Coordinator, Umar Faruk Lawal, said there is endemic decay in the sector which requires urgent intervention, adding that although the agreement which led to the ongoing face off was reached before the current administration assumed power but government is continuum.

He also urged the federal government to refrain from treating the issue with levity.

“We are not happy with the federal government, all our institutions are shut down, we are not happy with the way things are going in the education system. Nigeria students should be called back to the classrooms.

“We are not happy that all our institutions are shut down by ASUU, COEASU and NASU. Federal government should look into the sector and do something about it. The students are not happy sitting down at home”, he said.