The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and other student groups have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

NANS vice president in the South-West, Oladimeji Adesoji, and Adeyinka Adewole, the Students’ Union President, University of Ibadan, led students on a peaceful protest around major roads in the state capital.

The protesters, who initially converged at the University of Ibadan main gate at precisely 8:00 a.m, later marched around the major roads leading to the federal secretariat, causing gridlock.

The protesting students, who demanded that Mr Buhari should address students, insisted on entering the secretariat and vowed to stay there till the close of work.

However, some directors at the secretariat later pacified the students to stay outside the gate, assuring them that their grievances would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities.

Addressing the students, Mr Adesoji pleaded with the federal government to speed up actions toward resolving the lingering crisis between it and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which started on February 14.

He said that this became imperative because Nigerian students were already frustrated with the ugly development in the nation’s education sector.

“We can’t leave millions of students idle for that long, and you expect peace and progress in the country,” Mr Adesoji said.

In his comments, Mr Adewole pleaded with the President to address the situation bedevilling the education sector and end the recurring ASUU strike.

“We want the President to come out today and address us as a father and a parent; that is our first demand.

“There should be frequent dialogue with ASUU, a key stakeholder in the Nigerian educational system at the tertiary level, to identify the gaps in the system,” he said.

In an interview, Victor Olojede, Special Adviser to Oyo State Governor on Students’ Affairs, said that the federal government should come to terms with ASUU to ensure that students return to the classrooms.

Also, Quadri Adeleke, NANS Chairman in Oyo State, said that expectation of students was a permanent end to the recurring ASUU strike.

(NAN)