Students ground Lagos Airport over lingering strike
Students under the platform of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have stormed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos to press down their demands for the government to resolve the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike which has dragged on for almost seven months.
The students’ planned mass action is in continuation of their protest against the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
While the students told The PUNCH on Sunday that they will commence the grounding of the nation’s airports with that of Lagos on Monday (today), police authorities said the students “are free to come out and see what awaits them.”
NANS had earlier said it will ground activities at the local and international airports across the country beginning from Monday, September 18 over the lingering strike.
NANs National Taskforce Chairman, Olumide Ojo, told one of our correspondents that the association was aware of the Federal Government’s plan to mobilize the military against its protest.
He said the move would, however, not stop the association’s protest at the Lagos airport.
Ojo said, “We can secure ourselves against external forces. We are aware that the Federal Government is mobilizing the military to the venue of our protest but that will not stop us from barricading the airport.
“Since last Tuesday, we have been grounding the major highways from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to Guru Maharaji, we blocked Gbongan and so on. These are the roads being used by the masses, so we decided to focus on the routes government officials use most, which are the international airports and others.
“Nigerians should reschedule their flights because tomorrow (today) will be grounded. No one will go out, no one will come in.”
NANS Coordinator, Zone D, Adegboye Olatunji also confirmed the development in a separate interview.
He noted that the Lagos airport would be the first among the airports to be grounded by the students.
“The Lagos airport will be grounded on Monday (today). All we want is for the government to answer us. We want an end to the strike
Chairman, NANS National Task Force on ‘End ASUU Strike Now,’ Ojo Raymond Olumide, said students were tired of pleading with both parties to end the strike
According to him, “We shall begin another round of protest next week by storming the airspaces on Monday, 19th September 2022 to #OccupyTheAirports. We want to let the world know about the pains and anguish students are going through.
“Nigerian students whose parents created the commonwealth cannot continue to be suffering at home alongside our lecturers while the few who gain from our sweat and blood have their kids abroad.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command dismissed the threat by the student body to ground operations at the Lagos airport and urged citizens to go about their lawful duties.
The command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin said, “Speaking from a position of confidence, everything is intact, and there is no threat on the airport or the airspace
“However, the protesters who issued the threat are free to come out and see what awaits them. We, however, urge law-abiding Lagosians to go about their lawful duties without fear of intimidation or harassment.”
The airport police command’s spokesperson, Olayinka Ojelade, also said, “Our men have been on standby since Friday, so nobody is folding arms to watch the students disrupt aviation activities.
“They can’t enter the airport; they can only block the entrance to the airport. Whoever is traveling will know how to bypass them and enter the airport. No airline is on strike, so they will attend to their passengers. Nobody can ground flight operations, they have been warned.”
ASUU backs NANS
The National President, ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, in an interview with The PUNCH, however, commended the students for fighting for their rights.
“We commend NANS members for fighting for their rights. It is their right. The pro-chancellors are doing well too. We hope the government will listen to them because they (pro-chancellors) understand what is happening in the Nigerian universities,” he said.
The union, on February 14, 2022, embarked on a strike following what it described as the failure of the government to meet some of its demands and on August 26, it declared a total and indefinite strike.
Students under the platform of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have stormed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos to press down their demands for the government to resolve the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike which has dragged on for almost seven months.
The students’ planned mass action is in continuation of their protest against the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
While the students told The PUNCH on Sunday that they will commence the grounding of the nation’s airports with that of Lagos on Monday (today), police authorities said the students “are free to come out and see what awaits them.”
NANS had earlier said it will ground activities at the local and international airports across the country beginning from Monday, September 18 over the lingering strike.
NANs National Taskforce Chairman, Olumide Ojo, told one of our correspondents that the association was aware of the Federal Government’s plan to mobilize the military against its protest.
He said the move would, however, not stop the association’s protest at the Lagos airport.
Ojo said, “We can secure ourselves against external forces. We are aware that the Federal Government is mobilizing the military to the venue of our protest but that will not stop us from barricading the airport.
“Since last Tuesday, we have been grounding the major highways from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to Guru Maharaji, we blocked Gbongan and so on. These are the roads being used by the masses, so we decided to focus on the routes government officials use most, which are the international airports and others.
“Nigerians should reschedule their flights because tomorrow (today) will be grounded. No one will go out, no one will come in.”
NANS Coordinator, Zone D, Adegboye Olatunji also confirmed the development in a separate interview.
He noted that the Lagos airport would be the first among the airports to be grounded by the students.
“The Lagos airport will be grounded on Monday (today). All we want is for the government to answer us. We want an end to the strike
Chairman, NANS National Task Force on ‘End ASUU Strike Now,’ Ojo Raymond Olumide, said students were tired of pleading with both parties to end the strike
According to him, “We shall begin another round of protest next week by storming the airspaces on Monday, 19th September 2022 to #OccupyTheAirports. We want to let the world know about the pains and anguish students are going through.
“Nigerian students whose parents created the commonwealth cannot continue to be suffering at home alongside our lecturers while the few who gain from our sweat and blood have their kids abroad.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command dismissed the threat by the student body to ground operations at the Lagos airport and urged citizens to go about their lawful duties.
The command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin said, “Speaking from a position of confidence, everything is intact, and there is no threat on the airport or the airspace
“However, the protesters who issued the threat are free to come out and see what awaits them. We, however, urge law-abiding Lagosians to go about their lawful duties without fear of intimidation or harassment.”
The airport police command’s spokesperson, Olayinka Ojelade, also said, “Our men have been on standby since Friday, so nobody is folding arms to watch the students disrupt aviation activities.
“They can’t enter the airport; they can only block the entrance to the airport. Whoever is traveling will know how to bypass them and enter the airport. No airline is on strike, so they will attend to their passengers. Nobody can ground flight operations, they have been warned.”
ASUU backs NANS
The National President, ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, in an interview with The PUNCH, however, commended the students for fighting for their rights.
“We commend NANS members for fighting for their rights. It is their right. The pro-chancellors are doing well too. We hope the government will listen to them because they (pro-chancellors) understand what is happening in the Nigerian universities,” he said.
The union, on February 14, 2022, embarked on a strike following what it described as the failure of the government to meet some of its demands and on August 26, it declared a total and indefinite strike.
