The coalition of 19 Northern states’ Presidents of the Students’ Union Governments, SUGs, has issued a one-week ultimatum to both the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to resolve their problem or else the students would turn the streets to their classes.
Addressing a press conference on behalf of the coalition yesterday in Kano, Sadi Garba Sa’id, of the Bayero University Kano said, “The coalition has unanimously agreed on the review of ASUU’s demands. The coalition is giving both parties an ultimatum of one week to resolve their differences or else we, the Nigerian students, will move to the streets and make them our classes.”
Stating that they would not accept any hike in registration fees, the students called on the government to waive the fees because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused economic devastations globally.
The coalition said, “The coalition will not tolerate any form of hike in registration fees or the induction of tuition fees.
“The government should waive registration fees, because of the pandemic, which has seriously affected the economic situation of students, parents and guardians,” just as they also called for a review of the National Youth Service Corp, NYSC, age-limit, as the lingering ASUU strike might have affected the chances of some of the students to participate in the scheme.
They said, “NYSC age limit should be revised, owing to the fact that the ASUU lingering strike and COVID-19 pandemic may have crippled some students’ chances of participating in the scheme.”
While further condemning the alarming rate of rape and kidnapping cases across the country, the students called for prompt action by the government; even as they also demand that education should be given priority in the country, calling on the government to also provide quality education in primary and secondary schools as well as the tertiary level.
The student further called for the introduction of skills acquisition and internship programmes for students of tertiary institutions across Nigeria, while also advocating for transparency in federal and state scholarship schemes.
