The Progressive Students Movement, a nationwide students’ movement, has urged political parties to consider donating 40 per cent of proceeds from sale of their forms to Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Bestman Okereafor, national president of PSM, said on Thursday the donated funds would go a long way to settling ASUU’s demands and ending the strike in public universities.

ASUU, on Monday, May 9, extended its three-month-old strike by 12 weeks. The union had embarked on a nationwide warning strike on February 14, 2022.

ASUU is using the strike to press home its demands, including revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowances and the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution for payment of university lecturers.

“In the interest of national development, we strongly believe that donating 40 per cent of proceeds from the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms to ASUU will immediately see schools reopening,” explained PSM. “This call follows the continued ASUU strike and the failure of the government to yield to its demands as signed in a 2009 agreement, by the then administration even as we understand government is a continuum.”

The PSM’s statement added, “We wish to urge political parties to consider donating 40 per cent of the total proceeds from the sale of forms to ASUU in the best interest of Nigerian students and youths.”

The students’ movement noted that should any political party donate 40 per cent of total proceeds from the sale of forms to ASUU, “such political party or parties will tend to enjoy the massive support and votes of Nigerian students.”

It further explained, “We are aware that some political parties have so far generated over N19 billion from the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms. We are optimistic that should such a gesture be offered by political parties, the government will be left with no option other than settling the remaining balance of ASUU demands.”

Nigerian students would no longer tolerate “smooth political activities while our campuses are under lock and key,” warned the PSM. 

(NAN)