Scores of human right activists, lecturers and tertiary students Thursday staged a protest in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, over the protracted nationwide strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The protest, organised under the aegis of Joint Action Front (JAF), paralysed commercial and vehicular activities in some parts of the state capital.

Many motorists, commuters and civil servants were stranded for several hours due to the barricading of some strategic areas, leading to traffic snarl in Kuto, Isabo, Kemta, Ibara and other areas.

However, there was a mild drama at the NNPC Mega Station junction, where the protest took off as the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, AbdulMajeed Ahmad, engaged some of the protesters in altercation over the blockage of the highway.

Led by the JAF Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Aremu, the protesters expressed concern over the ongoing industrial action by varsity lecturers, urging the federal government to urgently negotiate with ASUU and resolve the crises in the nation’s education sector.

Aremu said the strike was not solely about ASUU or any other union in the education sector, saying it was meant to draw the attention of Nigerians to the dwindling funding of education at all levels in the country.

He urged students, parents and other stakeholders not to be tired of the ongoing struggle, noting that it must be sustained until government takes the right steps towards revamping the education sector.

Aremu condemned the federal government’s attitude towards implementing the 2009 agreement with ASUU, saying such would continue to draw back the wheel of progress.

In his remark, the Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun State chapter, Damilola Ahmed, said his members were in solidarity with all the unions in the education sector.

He alleged that the federal government had not been fair on the funding of education in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the NANS chairman was allegedly arrested Thursday by policemen.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, said the arrest was to avert a breakdown of law and order.

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