NANS threatens to shut private universities over ASUU strike

National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to shut down the 79 private universities in Nigeria over the ongoing ASUU strike.

NANS threatens to shut private universities over ASUU strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has insisted they won’t resume without the FG paying their withheld salaries, while Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, said the government did not promise to pay members of the before they go back to work.

In a statement on Tuesday, Ngige said “it is false and discomfiting” for ASUU to wrongly inform the public that the government agreed to pay all withheld salaries before they would resume work.

He said on the part of the government, all timelines have been complied with and “faithfully implemented”, noting that ASUU had agreed at the last meeting with the government team on November 27 to call off their nine-month-old strike before December 9.

New president of NANS, Sunday Ashefon during a PUNCH Online interview programme, The Roundtable, has now threatened to shut down private universities in the country.

Ashefon said NANS would engage the Federal Government and ASUU leaders to find a lasting solution to resolve the stalemate in negotiations between the two arms.

He said if the consultations failed, NANS would move in and shut down all tertiary institutions in the country.

“In the history of ASUU strike, this is the longest ASUU strike so far, going to nine months now. My administration frowns at it.

“There must be a lasting solution, ASUU must stop this strike and Federal Government must listen to ASUU. The two should synergise, they should pity the common students who have been at home.