ASUU: UI Students Protest, Block Ife-Ibadan & Lagos – Abeokuta Roads

Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, stopped the Ile-Ife-Ibadan expressway on Thursday to protest the continuing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other trade unions on Nigerian university campuses.

Protesters under the banner of the “End ASUU Strike Coalition” stated that they would continue to demonstrate until the Nigerian government and the striking employees resolved their issue and reopened the institutions.

At the time of reporting this story, hundreds of students were on their way to the Ibadan-Ilesa expressway, near Oduduwa University.

In some of the video clips of the protest obtained by the press, the students said they were not afraid of the security operatives, and threatened to remain on the road until the universities are reopened.

They expressed their frustration over the continued strike by the workers, and said they were disappointed that politicians could show the effrontery to continue politicking ahead of 2023 general elections “as if all is well.”

“You have money to obtain electoral forms but no time to open our schools, and you think all will be well with you all?” one of the protesters said in a video.

Another, who spoke in Yoruba Language, said; “This is Osun and not Lagos, no soldier or policeman can kill us here. Let them come and meet us here.”

Ogun protest

Meanwhile, their counterparts in Ogun State under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Wednesday blocked the Lagos-Abeokuta highway, causing traffic gridlock for motorists.

The students blocked the express road at Obada axis of the highway, carrying placards and chanting anti-government songs.

The protest left many motorists stranded as travelers were helpless.

Some of the inscriptions on their placards read: “End ASUU Strike now”, “Enough is Enough”, “Nigerian Students are suffering” and “FG, listen to ASUU”.

The protesters who told our reporter on the phone that they would take a break on Thursday, and threatened to return to the roads on Friday, in continuation of the protests.

Source: premiumtimesng.com