The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone, has strongly condemned the threat by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) to stage a mass protest at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), warning that any disruption to the institution’s academic calendar will be fiercely resisted.
This comes in response to a recent statement by SSANU’s National Vice President (Western Zone), Abdussobur Salaam, rejecting the FUOYE Governing Council’s decision to clear the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Fasina, of sexual harassment allegations. SSANU had threatened to mobilize members from 26 universities for a massive protest on FUOYE’s campus.
In a joint statement signed by NANS Southwest executives — Comrade Owolewa Taiwo (Coordinator), Comrade Oluwole Olutunde (General Secretary), and Comrade Kuku Isaiah (Public Relations Officer) — the student body described SSANU’s planned protest as unacceptable and warned that students would not allow any group to jeopardize the academic progress of over 50,000 students at FUOYE.
“As the recognized voice of students across the Southwest, we will not sit back and allow any union or group to create chaos in our institution. SSANU’s threats will be met with even greater mobilization by NANS — across more than 70 tertiary institutions, representing over 300,000 students,” the statement read.
“This is not a threat,” NANS added, “it is a clear declaration of our commitment to protect the academic future of Nigerian students.”
The student body also recalled a tragic incident during a previous SSANU protest, where the shutdown of essential services at FUOYE led to the death of a student who was denied access to emergency healthcare. “We say never again,” NANS declared.
Urging SSANU to pursue its grievances through proper legal and administrative channels, NANS emphasized that industrial actions must not come at the expense of students’ lives or academic progress.
