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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

Ondo university students protest 68-day strike, demand reopening

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Students at Adekunle Ajasin University in Ondo State blocked the main gate to protest a 68-day strike by unions at state-owned tertiary institutions.
  • Student leaders said the closure had disrupted studies and created hardship, especially for those nearing graduation, while students continued paying fees.
  • The Ondo government said it had paid the outstanding balance of August arrears owed under a new subvention to state-owned tertiary institutions.

Students at Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba-Akoko took to the streets after 68 days of industrial action, barricading the main gate along the Owo-Ikare Expressway and demanding that the institution reopen immediately.

The protesters carried placards that read, “Every pending graduate, shey na our lives be these?”, “NASU, NAAT, SSANU have joined strike” and “Enough is Enough.” They said the prolonged closure had disrupted academic activities and left students nearing graduation facing uncertainty.

Folagbade Ayoola, president of the Students’ Union Government, said students could no longer remain silent. “We cannot keep silent because we are really facing challenges in our university. Imagine students having to pay school fees while lecturers’ salaries are not being paid.” He said repeated meetings and promises had failed to resolve the dispute, while the Academic Staff Union of Universities had already presented its demands to the government.

We cannot keep silent because we are really facing challenges in our university. Imagine students having to pay school fees while lecturers’ salaries are not being paid.

· Folagbade AyoolaThe students’ union president described the hardship caused by the university’s prolonged closure and unpaid lecturers’ salaries.

The unions involved include ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and the National Association of Academic Technologists. Their action followed demands for implementation of the Federal Government and unions’ agreement on workers’ welfare in Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions.

Oluwatimileyin Amos, the students’ union general secretary, said the stay-at-home order was causing hardship and uncertainty. “We have been on strike for 68 days now and something needs to be done. We need an immediate resolution and action because our students are suffering.” The Ondo government separately said it had paid the outstanding balance of August arrears under the new subvention.

We have been on strike for 68 days now and something needs to be done. We need an immediate resolution and action because our students are suffering.

· Oluwatimileyin AmosThe students’ union general secretary called for an immediate settlement of the dispute.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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