In their ongoing efforts to end their
lecturers’ strike, students of the Ahmadu
Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Kaduna
State, have visited the Emir of Katsina and
Galadima of Kano. AWWAL MIJINYAWA
(400-Level Law) and ABDULRAHMAN
ZAKARIYAU (300-Level Mass
Communication) report.
A week after they visited the Sultan of Sokoto
and Emir of Zazzau in Sokoto and Kaduna
states to seek their intervention in the
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)
strike, students of the Ahmadu Bello University
(ABU), last Tuesday, took their campaign to the
Emir of Katsina.
Led by Abubakar Aliyu Rafindadi, president of
the Students’ Union Government (SUG), they
also visited the Galadima of Kano to urge the
monarchs to prevail on the government and
ASUU to embrace peace.
No fewer than 60 students converged in front
of the SUG secretariat at 7:30am for the
mission. By 9am, they left the secretariat for
Katsina to see Alhaji Abdulmumeeni Kabir
Usman.
There was a mild drama between the
protesters and security guards at the palace
when they arrived in a convoy at 12:30pm.
They were prevented from entering the palace
because the students were singing Aluta songs.
It took the intervention of senior officials of
the palace to douse the tension, and the
students were allowed to see the emir on the
ground that they stop singing.
Addressing the Emirate Council, Abubakar said
the students were in the palace to seek the
emir’s intervention in the protracted ASUU
strike. He said: “We are here to formally lodge
our complaint against the Federal Government
and our lecturers, who are out to make good
future impossible for us and by extension the
country.”
Abubakar argued that since education
remained focal point of the government’s
Transformation Agenda, President Goodluck
Jonathan should make provision for adequate
funding of sector to improve quality. He said
the lecturers’ action was not helping the
already bastardized system, urging ASUU to
look for another means in agitating for its
demands. He told the monarch to intervene in
the crisis to save Nigeria’s education from
total collapse.
Responding, Alhaji Usman commended the
students for using peaceful means in
channeling their grievances. He said: “This first
step you have taken is the right step; you
followed the due process as Islam religion
prescribed. Instead of taking to violence, you
all came in peace and harmony and we must
hear what you have to say and show
sympathy.”
The emir regretted that the quality of
education remained on a steady decline, saying
what is seen in public institutions today never
happened in the past. He noted that there was
emphasis on quality in the past while hostels
and classrooms were conducive for learning.
“Today, hostels are not even habitable;
everything is dilapidated. Even though the
country faces several problems, bad education
remains the greatest threat to the progress of
any society,” he said.
Alhaji Usman assured the students that he
would channel their grievances to the authority
and do follow up. He told the students to
remain peaceful in their demonstration to
prevent hoodlums from hijacking the protest.
He said he would do all within his capacity to
ensure that the government and ASUU return
to the negotiation table and resolve the issues.
Abubakar later presented the students’ protest
letter to the emir.
The students arrived in Kano at 6:30pm. Their
meeting with Galadima of Kano, Alhaji Tijjani
Hashim, was brief.
After Abubakar explained the reason for the
vsist, Alhaji Hashim assured the students that
he would brief the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado
Bayero, about their complaints. He said he
would ensure that a documented copy of the
students’ grievances would be handed over to
the Vice President Namadi Sambo, for action.
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