Hundreds of travelers were blocked on the Lagos-Ibadan highway on Tuesday following protests by the National Association of Nigerian Students.
It was learnt that students have blocked motorways to protest the ongoing month-long commemorative strike imposed by Union University academic staff after they failed to reach agreement with the federal government on the 2009 FG-ASUU deal.
Also, students who gathered at the axis of the Redeemed Church in Mowe at 8am protested the current fuel shortage in the country, which causes congestion on the always busy highway.
President of NANS in Ogun State, Mr. Damilola Simeon, speaking on behalf of the students, asked FG to accede ASUU’s demands, noting that students were the hardest hit by the strike.
Simeon made a special appeal for FG and ASUU to return to the roundtable and find a lasting solution to the ongoing strike that has crippled academic activity at national universities and left oppressed students helplessly idle.
“Our time is being wasted. Age will be against us by the time we graduate and go into the labour market.
“We will be forced to pay extra rents as most of us are staying in private hostels while some of our colleagues will be distracted, discouraged and will probably jettison schooling for illegal activities,” he said.
He also asked the government to increase funding for higher education institutions to ensure good working conditions for teaching and non-teaching staff.
Referring to the fuel shortage, he noted that this had far-reaching detrimental consequences for the masses, particularly displaced Nigerian secondary school students, adding that the relevant authorities should do what is necessary as soon as possible to calm tired nerves and restore normality to the already heated political government