The National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) has given the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) one week to reopen universities, or face shutting down of the country. NANS gave the warning in Awka, the Anambra State capital, yesterday during a peaceful protest against the closure of universities in the country. Speaking to reporters in Awka, the Chairman of Anambra State chapter of NANS, Comrade Peter Onyemaefe, said ASUU and the Federal Government are destroying the future of youths and the country, noting that they must stop that henceforth. According to him, the Federal Government and ASUU are toying with the future of the country by keeping its productive youths idle for months.

He said that a programme that was supposed to last for four years now lasts for six to seven years and that the youths will soon come out to call for an end of the government if these issues are not addressed. According to him, the action will commence immediately after the expiration of the one-week ultimatum.

“It is about the ASUU strike, students are registering their grievances on continuous strike in the universities. Every six months or less there must be a strike in the universities. “They are trading with our future, a programme that is supposed to last for four years will last six to seven years. We pay extra house rent; we pay extra school fees, extra feeding allowance.

“Because of the incessant strikes, many students are now getting involved in armed robbery, prostitution, yahoo, yahoo, and many other criminal activities. “We are giving the government and ASUU one week to resolve their problems or face shutting down the country. We will continue to create crises until they do the needful. They are playing with our future. We are saying no to manipulation. We are saying that we want to go back to school,” he stressed. The protest which took place along the Enugu-Awka Expressway lasted over five hours and created a heavy gridlock. (New Telegraph)

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