NANS to Sue FG, Claims Damages Over Prolonged ASUU Strike

 

Ayu Esuku

The National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS), has threatened to sue the Federal Government and claim damages for wasting the precious time of the university students over the intractable strike embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

NANS posited that wasting the precious time of university students is actionable and that appropriate actions would be taken to advance their cases in court and get commensurate compensations for its members.

The National President of NANS, Sunday Asefon, said this on Thursday in a statement made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital. 

Asefon, who agreed with the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu that the students are due for compensations, however, picked holes in the belief that ASUU should be held liable.

The NANS' leader contended that only the employer, which is the federal government, can be held accountable under the present circumstance .

He said: "Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the Minister of Education, where he suggested that Nigerian students affected by ASUU strike must sue ASUU for liabilities suffered as a result of the strike".

"Perhaps the only thing  Mallam Adamu Adamu has gotten right since he became a Minister is the fact that Nigerian students needed to be compensated for their wasted time, opportunities and resources".

 However,he stated that the Minister was clever by half for suggesting ASUU should be held liable for the liabilities, reiterating that ASUU was neither the proprietor of the tertiary institutions nor the beneficiary of the exorbitant fees  paid across  tertiary institutions in Nigeria. 

"Since Nigerian students do not think like the Minister, since we can separate what is right from wrong, we will yield to the advice, by exploring legal windows for compensation for our students over numerous liabilities suffered as a result of the incessant and prolonged ASUU strike"

"While our losses in terms of lost opportunities as a result of time wasted might not be quantifiable, our losses as regards private hostel accomodations' payments, research work losses, foreign admission losses, extra year resulting to miss of NYSC service opportunity are liabilities that can be quantified and  accounted for.

"We have, therefore, decided to take the advice of the Minister and seek legal redress for the liabilities suffered. We will consult with our legal advisers to see what options are available for us to explore legally against the Federal Government, and the Minister of Education".

Asefon appealed to ASUU to be considerate and put students interest into consideration and suspend the industrial disharmony with immediate effect.