The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS ) led by Umar Faruk Lawal has distanced itself from the planned ‘mass action’ slated to block the Abuja international Airport.
Public university lecturers under the Aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities have been on strike for seven months.
The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Umar Lawal of the Department of Library and Information Science of the Bayero University, Kano had sued some ministers and striking university lecturers over the industrial action.
According to documents filed before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja, the court has summoned ASUU executives, Attorney General of the Federation and Ministry of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and Minister of Education, Professor Adamu Adamu to appear within 14 days of the receipt of the service.
President Muhammadu Buhari had pledged to engage critical stakeholders in the education sector towards ensuring that the seven-month old industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU) is called off.
The President, who spoke on Friday at the State House, Abuja, while meeting with the Chairman and select members of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities, promised to hold further consultations with relevant stakeholders, with a view to ending the protracted strike by the university lecturers.
President Buhari said without necessarily going back on what is already established policy, “I will make further consultations, and I’ll get back to you.”
However, NANS, South West zone, on Monday blocked the road leading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, protesting against the ongoing strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
There is News in the media claiming that the leadership of NANS under Comrade Umar Faruk Lawal is planning to block the Abuja international Airport.
Meanwhile, Faruk on Monday described the news as fake, stressing that those calling for the protest are misguided individuals who serve as impostors using the name of students to cause hardship on residents and motorists thus my leadership tag them Anti students.
He asserted that NANS has sue the leadership of ASUU and Federal Government to court just to find legal solution to the lingering strike and if any of such protest happen it is from set of hoodlums and no students will be involved.
This was contained in a statement issued on Monday and signed by NANS National President, Comrade Umar Faruk Lawal and the Senate President, Comrade Adediwura Ismail Adesina. Adding that Peace of commutant of FCT is their topmost priority.
*The statement reads in part; "I bring you solidarity greetings on behalf of the entire Nigerian student body, numbering over 40million Nigerian students at home and in diaspora, over whom NANS is the umbrella association.
" Am using this medium to clarify the fake news going round the media space claiming that the leadership of NANS under Comrade Umar Faruk Lawal and myself the Senate President is planning to block the Abuja international Airport.
"I want to state categorically that there is no such plan because the Peace of commutant of FCT is our topmost priority.
"Also to inform you that the leadership of NANS under Umar Faruk Lawal has sue the leadership of ASUU and Federal Government to court just to find legal solution to the lingering strike and if any of such protest happen it is from set of hoodlums and no students will be involved as such we say it categorically that such people should be dealt with according to law.
" More so, we wish to hold a Press Conference tomorrow Tuesday 20th September, 2022* to inform legitimate students to remain calm as our leadership is not relenting in solving the strike issues legally,"
Signed
Umar Faruk Lawal
NANS President
Published by the Directorate of media and public relations