SCORES of students of the University of Benin, UNIBEN on Wednesday barricaded the ever-busy Benin-Ore-Sagamu road to protest the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
ASUU declared a four-week warning strike on Monday, after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Lagos, to compel the Federal Government to implement the renegotiated 2009 agreement it had with the government.
They were in their numbers by the entrance of the Ugbowo campus of the university chanting slogans and solidarity songs like “aluta continua…” and “education is our right,” among others.
The students expressed their frustration over the incessant strike of university teachers, urged the federal government to heed to ASUU demands.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesting students carried placards with various inscriptions such as “5 years course has turned to 7 years; “FG settle ASUU” and “Enough is Enough.”
Some of them turned the highway into a football field, playing in sets while the student leaders were sharing bottles of water, soft drink, pies and doughnuts to the demonstrators for refreshment.
The students’ action caused a gridlock on the highway for about four hours, forcing many motorists to avoid the route while those going into the Edo capital had to divert their ways.
Consequently, passengers were also stranded as many walked a long distance before getting vehicles to their destinations.
Leading the protest, the President of the Students Union Government (SUG) of UNIBEN, Foster Amadin, said they had been frustrated by the perennial ASUU strikes.
“For two days now, we have been to our classes and there has not been any lecturer to teach us. So we have nothing to do.
“We asked what was happening and they told us ASUU is on strike again; that they are on a one-month warning strike.
“So we now felt that we should come to the street to say we are tired.
“We hereby express our grievances to the federal government, to the state government and whoever cares to listen and. We say we are tired.
“We want to graduate. For a programme that is supposed to run for four years, we are spending five years and even more. We don’t want it anymore.
“Let the federal government see to the demands of ASUU and let ASUU also consider the federal government’s position.
“All we want is to go back to our classes. I want to graduate, I want to leave the school. I am tired and that is our grievance,” he said.
Amadin, however, appealed to all concerned to see to the reason why they were at the gate protesting.
–NAN
