KEY POINTS
- AAUA students protested prolonged ASUU and JAC strikes disrupting academic activities.
- Soldiers were deployed to disperse the protesters, triggering tension around the university.
- Students’ leaders urged Governor Aiyedatiwa to resolve the dispute and reopen the university.
Students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, AAUA, Ondo State, on Thursday staged a protest over the prolonged strike that has brought academic activities at the institution to a standstill.
The students reportedly barricaded major roads around the university community as they demanded an immediate resolution to the industrial dispute and a return to normal academic activities.
The protest was triggered by the ongoing industrial action involving the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Joint Action Committee (JAC), which comprises the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
The unions’ strike has disrupted teaching, administrative and other academic activities across state-owned tertiary institutions in Ondo State, leaving students frustrated over the uncertainty surrounding the resumption of classes.
Military personnel deployed to disperse protesters
The peaceful demonstration reportedly took a tense turn after personnel of the Nigerian Army were deployed to the area to disperse the protesting students.
Video footage from the scene showed armed soldiers dressed in camouflage uniforms moving towards the protesters and pursuing students along roads around the university vicinity.
Military patrol vehicles were also seen at the scene as the confrontation between the security personnel and students escalated.
Despite the military presence, some of the students reportedly remained at the protest ground, displaying placards and chanting slogans over the prolonged disruption of their education.
One of the placards carried the inscription, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”, reflecting the students’ growing frustration with the situation.
The protesters are also demanding the implementation of agreements reached with the striking unions and the payment of outstanding salary arrears, which they believe are central to resolving the industrial dispute.
The deployment of armed personnel has drawn criticism from the AAUA Students’ Union, which described the action as unacceptable given that the students were protesting what they considered to be a legitimate grievance.
Tolulope Adeyefa, the 18th General Secretary of the AAUA Students’ Union, condemned the military intervention in a series of posts on his official X account.
Adeyefa said the students were exercising their right to peacefully demand an end to the prolonged strike and criticised the Ondo State Government for failing to resolve the dispute.
He argued that the appropriate response to the protest should have been meaningful engagement with the students and the striking unions rather than the deployment of armed security personnel.
According to him, the government should prioritise resolving the issues responsible for the industrial action so students can return to their classrooms.