ASUU DECRIES LAWLESSNESS IN NIGERIA VERSITIES

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised alarm over the current lawlessness in the nation’s universities.

The National President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir F. Isa, while speaking to journalists at the ASUU secretariat in Bayero University, Kano, on Monday, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently intervene in the crisis-ridden universities so as to protect the future of the Nigerian youth.

Issues raised by the ASUU chief are – the killing of students at Nasarawa State University, Keffi , leadership crisis at Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), disregard for court orders at University of Ilorin, release of White Paper on President Jonathan’s special visitation to University of Abuja and the need for reconstitution of Governing Councils for Federal Universities in the country.

The body called for a full-scale investigation into the killing of two students at NSUK with a bid to bringing culprits to justice.

According to Isa, while two students are already dead as a fall out of the NSUK crisis, over 20 students received varying degrees of injuries during the incident.

He pointed out that experience over the years has shown that recourse to military intervention in civil matters like students’ unrest is unfortunate.

Isa said, “The questions begging for answers, however, are: why would the authorities of NSUK Keffi refuse to provide basic boreholes that can sufficiently meet the water needs of their students?

“Why would they refuse to respond to the entreaties and eventual warnings of the students before February 25th? Why did the authorities of NSUK ignore the students’ lecture boycott of February 25th? Who invited the military to quell students’ peaceful protest? Who ordered for the shootings and killings of university students?

“We are requesting the visitor to NSUK to institute an inquiry into the killings of our students. We are warning that unless the immediate and remote causes of the killings are identified and appropriate punitive measures taken against the killers of our innocent students. Our union will leave no stone unturned in our pursuance of justice to all the victims of this madness.”

Credit: The Nation