ASUU Strike: NANS Exco Splits, Disowns President

Executive members of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, have disowned the national president, Mr. Yinka Gbadebo, on his support for the Federal Government in the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

Some members of the executive told newsmen, yesterday, that students were largely unbiased in the crisis and the inclination of Mr. Gbadebo to support the government was a deviation from the students' collective goal of resolving the crisis.

The executive members who included national assistant secretary general, Ali Mohammed , the national sports director, Talib Abubakar Gumel, director of travels and exchange, Olusegun Oyebisi, said there was no consultation on the issues before Gbadebo declared NANS support for the Federal Government.

The students also dissociated NANS as a body from the ongoing face off between officials of the Federal Government and the Rivers State government saying that their president did not have any right to speak on the issue.

"The national president did not have our mandate to support the federal government over the strike as we are a neutral body. We do not support either the federal government or ASUU because it is the students that bear the brunt of the strike," Ali who spoke on behalf of his colleagues said yesterday.

"We call on ASUU and the Federal Government to resolve the issue within seven days so that the students can return to their campuses."

"We do not understand why the national president should support the federal government or what concerns students with what is happening between the Rivers State governor and the President. The matter is between the two of them it does concern the students."