Polytechnic students threaten nationwide protests

The National Association of Polytechnic Students, NAPS, has threatened to mobilise students for protests in campuses nationwide within the next two weeks should the Federal Government fail to resolve its differences with striking lecturers.

Polytechnic lecturers, under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, ASUP, are currently on strike to compel government to implement agreements it had with their union.

NAP National President, Fawale Oluwole Jacob, who issued the threat in a statement, also appealed to ASUP not to be too severe in its demands on government, even as he urged the Federal Government to address the lecturers’ demands.

According to him, “If the strike is not called off within two weeks, they will have to mobilise for peaceful mass rallies and campus protests to demand for urgent attention.

“We call on all Nigerian students to participate actively in this movement to rescue our future. The emphasis is on peaceful protests and rallies while refusing to be intimidated.

“While we are yet to understand why we suffer in the midst of plenty considering the fact that Nigeria is among the top ten producers of crude oil in the world, we cannot further accept the inability of our lazy leaders to think outside the box and realise that ‘’education is power.”