Next Step
Should Be a Unified Protest by Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Students
By Adams
Lateef (ERC National Deputy Coordinator).
The
Education Rights Campaign (ERC) and the Concerned Students Against Education
Commercialization (COSATEC) on Monday 17th March held a peaceful
demonstration in Lagos to condemn the Federal Government's refusal to implement
the agreement it reached with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP)
which have kept students at home for several months.
Cumulatively,
the ASUP strike is now in its 9th month. Sometimes in July last year, the first
leg of the strike was suspended by the Union to give government a benefit of
doubt. With no sign that government was ready to implement its promises and
agreement, the lecturers resumed the strike which has lasted up till now.
The
protest which commenced at about 9am starting from the University of Lagos
(UNILAG) junction had students from the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH)
and members of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) from both UNILAG and
YABATECH as well as members of COSATEC participating. With the chanting of
solidarity songs from that spot to WAEC/YABATECH junction, more students from
around the campus were motivated to join. At this time the rally had built-up
traffic along Herbert Marcaulay road.
Various
speakers at the demonstration condemned government refusal to implement
agreement it reached with ASUP, which caused the lecturers to resume their
suspended strike. Students also used the occasion to condemn the planned
national conference that was to commence that same day. Nothing meaningful will
result from it as we have witnessed in the past same ruling elite organizing similar
conferences. Several billions of naira has been budgeted for the Confab that
will last for only 3-months. Students expressed anger that such huge resources
could not be put into improving the education sector.
While the
protest march moved from WAEC Bus Stop to Jibowu, the gathering was addressed
by the leadership of COSATECH, Yabatech Union leaders and the ERC. One of the
student leaders, Faniyi James of Yabatech urged the students to be calm and
stress the reason for the protest which was to condemn government insensitivity
towards the on-going ASUP strike. He mentioned that students in the
polytechnics have remained at home for over 8 months due to government refusal
to implement agreement it signed with the striking lecturers.
 |
| HT Soweto, National Coordinator, ERC |
The
demonstration was attended by over a hundred students moving along the popular
Ikorodu road. The express road was shut down for hours. At different junctions
(Onipanu and Anthony) several minutes were also spent to address the media.
 |
| A student Leader |
The
planning of the protest took several days and involved students from YABATECH,
College of Education Akoka and ERC members at the University and Polytechnic.
Unfortunately, the students from the College of Education Akoka later backed
out of the planned protest which was meant to be a joint campaign.
 |
| Lateef Adams ERC National Deputy Coordinator |
The ERC shall
continue to campaign for improved funding of the education sector and provision
of free and functional education at all levels which we believe is possible if
the abundant resources Nigeria is endowed with is judiciously used and
democratically managed by the working people of this country. Central to this
is the need for unity of Polytechnic and Colleges of Education students as well
as striking lecturers from both sides to struggle together to defeat government
anti-poor education policies.
We call on
all students to unite against all anti-students policies. We urge that the next
step should be a unified day of action to demand a halt to neo-liberal policies
of education commercialization in the country.
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