Suit against ASUU is without merit, S’West NANS intervenes

The South-West Zone of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has disassociated itself from the action in response to the lawsuit filed by the factional president of NANS, Umar Farouk, against some ministers and striking university lecturers. The South-West Zone has questioned the legality of the acclaimed position of the plaintiff and the merit of the suit itself.
ASUU is engaged in a legitimate cause of public interest, according to a statement released on Saturday by five executive members of the zone, led by the Coordinator, Adegboye Olatunji. The statement also stated that a responsible student leader would show support for the lecturers who are on strike.
The statement partly read, “The suit would have been a welcomed development for Nigerian students but for two critical reasons, we cannot but declare the move as lacking merit and reasoning.
“On one hand, the person who filed the suit acclaimed himself to be the President of NANS in the suit. This needs to be stated publicly that Umar Farouk, though, contested in the last National Election of NANS held precisely on September 4, 2022, but lost the election to Usman Barambu, who won in a landslide victory. This forms the basis of the lack of merit of the suit in that you cannot assume a position you do not have right to and still file a suit in the capacity of that office.
“On the other hand, the suit clearly stated that ASUU has also been sued. It would be expected that a supposed President of an ideological association as NANS should understand the principle of solidarity among all unions especially on matters of public interest as what ASUU stands for in this case.”
NANS claimed that ASUU’s demands were reasonable, progressive, and in the interests of the majority. Adding that these demands need the backing of all moderately progressive people and organizations.
“ASUU cannot be sued for expressing her fundamental rights as a Union by adopting strike as last option after many failed attempt to get the Federal Government do the needful. There were several agreements reached between ASUU and the government before and during this strike, none has been fulfilled by the government while ASUU in the recent past had suspended her intended strike options in honour of these agreements. Yet, the government failed to honour the agreement which it willingly entered into. The question then is, on what reasonable ground would a purported student leader sue ASUU?” NANS queried.
“His suit against ASUU does not represent the position of Nigerian students. It is the responsibility of the government to fund education while lecturers have the right to good working condition. These are universal standard. As a zone, we have shown our commitment to the struggle of saving public university education and we are resolute on continuing in same manner,” the statement concluded.
NANS Joint Campus Committee chairs for the states of Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, and Oyo, Kehinde Simeon, Omotosho Surprise, Olusesi Tolulope, and Adeleke Quadri, respectively, co-signed the declaration.
In retaliation for what it termed as the Federal Government’s failure to address concerns with ASUU, which has been on strike since February 14, 2022, NANS has also promised to assault airports on Monday.

GOGAN Media.