University students decry ASUU strike, call for truce

University students decry ASUU strike, call for truce.

Students of Federal University Lokoja (FUL) on Tuesday, expressed worry over ASUU warning strike and called for truce.

ASUU early morning of Tuesday, Feb. 15 commenced a warning strike over Federal Government’s alleged inability to implement all agreements reached with the union in 2021.

Some of the students, who spoke with Newsmen in Lokoja expressed their disappointments over the strike, as they were denied entrance into the institution by their lecturers.

“In fact, it seems as a joke to me, when I was stopped at the gate and asked to go back to my home, ” Grace Achor, one of the students lamented.

“When the truth hit me at last, I have no option but to go back.

“I wish to plead with the Federal Government to listen and attend to the plights of our lecturers, who when not in the right frame of minds can’t lecture us well, ” Achor pleaded.

To one John, a student of Social Sciences said the news came as a rude shock to many students, “more so, that only on Feb. 14, we celebrated our Vice Chancellor’s one year in office.”

According to him, no student was allowed into the campus by the aggrieved lecturers of the university.

John, like Achor begged the government and ASUU to come to terms with each other to allow for academic activities to thrives in the Nigerian university campuses.

“The level of compliance of the lecturers at the Adankolo and Felele campuses of the university was so serious as we that made it to lecture halls were given up till 11.00am to vacate the premises,” he lamented.

A Banking and Finance 100-level student, One Hadiza, also expressed shock that the lecturers had fully complied but hoped that government would urgently look into the matter and address it as soon as possible.

Another, fresh student of Computer Science, who said she had just started receiving lectures only last week, wondered, “why this strike at this crucial moment of my life?”

She regretted that the strike would kill the joy and enthusiasm with which she came to study as an undergraduate student of FUL.

Contacted, Dr Joshua Silas, the FUL ASUU Chairman, confirmed the strike and action taken by his colleagues against the students.

“This warning strike declared by our national body this day, Tuesday, Feb. 15, has our members in full compliance.

“As far as we are concerned, we are not going into any lecture hall to lecture, of course not while the strike lasts.

“As it’s, we have already declared the strike in our branch and members have complied with the directive”, the chairman declared.