Lagos-Abeokuta expressway shut down by angry students

… As Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Ngige to meet ASUU Thursday

Tayo AFOLABI

Scores of angry students in Ogun state, on Wednesday, blocked the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway to protest the ASUU strike.

The students, under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Student, Ogun State Joint Campus Committee, invaded the Obada axis of the highway with placards chanting anti-government songs.

The protesters displayed placards with inscriptions such as  “End ASUU Strike now”, “Enough is Enough”, “Nigerian Students are suffering” and “FG listen to ASUU”.

The protest left, many motorists stranded as travellers were trapped.

Speaking on behalf of the students, the state chairman of NANS, Kehinde Simeon, warned that the extension of the strike would worsen the nation’s security challenges.

He said, “It is unfortunate that the Federal government is playing politics with the lives of Nigerian students. We have been clamouring from time past ever since the commencement of this ASUU strike that something should be done with immediate effect, but it is obvious that both the Federal government and ASUU have decided to turn deaf ears to our agitations.”

Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Agboola Gambari, alongside the Minister for Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, will be leading a meeting between the government and ASUU as well as all other registered trade unions in Nigerian universities on Thursday.

Others to be present at the meeting are identified interest groups and Civil societies.

In an invitation to the media, the ministry’s Head, Press and Public Relations, Olajide Oshundun,  indicated that Gambari will be chair the meeting.

The message read, “The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, will host a Tripartite-Plus meeting between the government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities and other registered trade unions in Nigerian universities, as well as identified interest groups and civil societies, on the on-ongoing industrial actions by the trade unions.

“The Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Agboola Gambari, will chair the meeting.”