The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has commended the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for resolving the stand-off.
ASUU on Monday suspended conditionally the strike following a meeting with a Federal Government delegation.
Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President, said the union conditionally suspended the strike in view of a timeline of October set for the implementation of the signed agreement with government.
Reacting to the development in a statement on Tuesday, NANS’ President, Chinonso Obasi, said it showed that dialogue was the best way of settling industrial disputes.
Obasi said the development would bring relief not only to the students but also their parents.
He called on the Federal Government to comply with the agreements reached in order to avert another face-off with ASUU in the near future.
Said Obasi: “The falling standard of education and its effect on the nation’s future human capital is regrettable.
“The Federal Government should prioritise investment in the education sector for the benefit of the nation.
“A situation where students are compelled to spend longer time than necessary for a particular course of study on an account of incessant strikes is counter-productive.”
He said students were always at the receiving end of strikes, hence the need for ASUU to always consult students’ leadership as critical stakeholders before declaring or proceeding on strike in the future.
Some students told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Tuesday that they were glad to hear that the union had called off their strike.
Francis Alazial, a final year student of Niger Delta University (NDU) Amasomma, said he was short of words to express his happiness over the development.
He said: “I cannot express my joy since I heard the news that ASUU had called off the strike.
“I am in my final year and about to finish my semester examination when lecturers commenced the strike.”
Another 300-level student of NDU, Paul Semion, said students would now resume normal academic activities from Wednesday, September 20.
He, however, urged Government to keep to the agreements reached with the lecturers so as not to disrupt academic activities in universities again.
“The Federal Government should try as much as possible to keep to the promises reached to ensure uninterrupted academic activities in future,” he added.
Similarly, most of the parents who spoke to NAN on the issue expressed gratitude to ASUU and government for making it possible for academic activities to resume.
.NAN
They, however, advised lecturers to always go for dialogue in resolving dispute rather than resorting to strike.