ASUU strike: Travellers stranded as varsity students barricade highways

Students across the country, yesterday, barricaded highways in the country in continuation of protests against the continued strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, getting travellers stranded for hours.

Those who participated in yesterday’s protests include students of the three universities in Ondo State, universities in Ogun State and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, Osun State.

The students in the three universities in Ondo State, including Federal University of Technology, Akure; Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko; and Olusegun Agagu University of Technology, Okitipupa, blocked the Ilesha/Akure highway.

They chanted different solidarity songs and displayed placards with various inscriptions such as: “End ASUU Strike”, “Save our future”. Many motorists and travellers were stranded for hours on the highway, as students berated the Federal Government for not yielding to the demands of ASUU.

While others turned the highway to a football pitch, the students said they would not leave the highway until the Federal Government met ASUU’s demands.

Speaking on the action by the students, Vice Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Ondo chapter, Shittu Afolarin, stated: “The move became imperative after it was discovered that the Federal Government is not concerned about the plight of students.

“This is not just FUTA students alone, we have joint university students present here for the protest. “We have been at home close to 100 days and that is why we choose to show our grievances by obstructing the activities of the state and that is why we have come this long to block the federal highway.