The National Association of Nigerian Students has explained its position on the demand by the minister that ASUU should be sued.
This was contained in a statement signed by the union’s President, Sunday Asefon, on Thursday.
Asefon was reacting to the statement by the education minister that the affected students should “take ASUU to court” to claim damages incurred over the strike period.
Responding, the NANS President said it could not sue ASUU, noting that the union is neither a proprietor nor beneficiary of fees paid.
The statement read in part, “Perhaps, the only thing Malam Adamu Adamu has gotten right since he became a minister is the fact that Nigerian students needed to be compensated for their wasted time, opportunities and resources.
‘’However, the minister is clever by half by suggesting ASUU should be held liable for the liabilities. ASUU is neither the proprietor of our tertiary institutions nor the beneficiary of the exorbitant fees we pay across our tertiary institutions in Nigeria.’’
In a related development, the Royal Commonwealth Society, Nigeria branch, has pledged to mediate between the striking lecturers and the FG using the instrument of ‘academic diplomacy.’
The Country Director of the society, Mr Blackson Bayewumi, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday.
Bayewumi appealed to ASUU to embrace meaningful dialogue, consultations and compromise at resolving the prolonged academic strike.
