Students of various tertiary institutions in Edo state on Monday blocked the entrance to the airport and the ever busy Airport road over the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The incident created traffic gridlock along the busy Airport road and the extended into adjoining roads in the GRA of Benin City.

The students were drawn from University of Benin, Ambrose Alli University of Benin, Ekpoma, Auchi Polytechnic and Edo State Polytechnic, Usen.

The students also moved to the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ) Edo State council to register their grievances where the Students Union Government’s (SUG) president of UNIBEN, Foster Amadin, appealed to the media to reach out to those connected with the protracted ASUU strike so that the students can go back to their various classrooms to learn.

“We are lending our voice and we are appealing to whosoever is concerned, we have also come here as students that know the importance of the media to express our displeasure over the lingering ASUU strike.

Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, (ASUP) is to embark on nationwide strike action from 11th of May following the non-implementation of the Memorandum of Action it said it reached with the Federal Government in May, 2021

The Zonal Coordinator of Zone D which comprises of South-South and South-East, Mr Precious Nwakodo stated this at a press briefing held in Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo on Monday.

He said part of the reason for the strike is the non-release of the N15 billion Revitalization Fund approved over a year for the sector to address infrastructural deficit as contained in the 2014 Needs Assessment Report.

“Following the discouraging response of the government to the one month notice of ultimatum which ended five days ago, 4th of May the NEC of the union will be meeting in two days time at Abuja to review the situation and take a decision on the planned strike,” Nwakodo said.

He said that the Federal and state governments have failed to commence payment of 10 months arrears of the new minimum wage after 3 years of signing the bill into law adding that many states of the federation are yet to implement the new minimum wage in the various institutions.

Nwakodo also decried the manner at which the management of the Polytechnics and Ministries of Education has continued to take actions that are clearly in contrast with the provisions of the law and called on Federal and state governments to heed to the yearnings of the academic staff to avoid strike in the interest of the students and parents.

Earlier, the Chairman of ASUP, Auchi Polytechnic Chapter, Mr Lawani Jimoh assured that the Auchi chapter would comply with the strike. (Vanguard)

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