September 23, (THEWILL) – Aviary Association Worldwide, Gateway Aviary, Ogun State chapter, has charged the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, to shun violence in their bid to protest the ongoing strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
NANS had embarked on a protest, blocking access to public roads and ports, in order to prevail on the federal government and the leadership of ASUU, to end its seven-month-old strike.
But, speaking at a press conference held on Wednesday, at NUJ Secretariat, Iwe Iroyin, Abeokuta, the President of Gateway Aviary, Mr Abiodun Abiodun, called on NANS to ensure that their protest does not escalate into violence.
Abiodun, who spoke on the theme, “End Racism; Build Peace”, to mark the 2022 International Day Of Peace, said peace is the only solution to resolve the FG-ASUU faceoff, charging the students to be mindful of their utterances and shun any act that might aggravate the matter.
He advised FG and ASUU to resolve the issue amicably and asked the leadership of NANS to look for a peaceful way to settle the face-off, rather than resulting in a protest that might lead to violence.
“As much as we feel marginalised as students, I will just implore the students that while they challenge the government to ask for their rights in the ASUU strike, they should not be violent in their activities.”
The president, however, tasked the leadership of NANS to do everything possible to conduct their fellow students in a manner eschewing violence in any protest to call off the strike.
He also charged parents and other stakeholders in the education sector of the country to rise up and play their roles in ending the feud, so that the students could return back to school on time.
Abiodun added that his association, which is in conjunction with the United Nations, is saddled with the responsibility of resolving conflict without violence, preaching against tribalism and racism, as well as building trust among people.
