The National Association of Osun State Students (NAOSS) has called on both their lecturers and the government to harmonise their positions on the current disagreement for them to return to their campuses.
While the students said they sympathised with the demands of their lecturers, they also reminded them that the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration has made tremendous impacts on the education sector in the state which cannot be dismissed.
The students, at a press conference held in Osogbo Tuesday evening, said both parties should consider their future and come to agreement.
NAOS President, Comrade Animasahun Adekunle in Osogbo who led other executives of the body said they recognise the many challenges before the government especially as occassioned by the national economic crisis.
Urging the state government to reach a compromise with the striking lecturers of the State owned tertiary institutions, the students also called on the relevant stakeholders in the state to arrive at a common ground in resolving the issue of the ongoing strike by taking every necessary step that would facilitate quick resumption.
The statement read in parts, “Having acknowledged the meaningful impact of the current government on education, we are appealing to the State Government to help us find a lasting solution to the incessant strike in the state owned tertiary institutions by taking into consideration our proposal which will assist the government in curbing the effects of every year strike in the state.
“We equally call on the government to have a dialogue as a matter of urgency with our lecturers in order for us to resume next week Monday as being pledged by the Deputy Governor and the State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Titi Laoye Tomori while addressing us during our protest on Monday.
“We equally thank our lecturers for peacefully pressing home their demands from the government without any rancor but appealing to them to shift grounds by considering and reasoning with government to fashion out the modalities that would guide against further action that may delay our resumption as being promised.”
The NAOS President appreciated Governor Aregbesola for increasing the Students’ Bursary Allowance from N3,000 to N10,000, urging him to pay all the outstanding allowances to the beneficiaries.
“We equally call on the government to pay our bursary, though we appreciate the government for deeming it fit to increase our bursary allowance from the initial amount of N3,000 being paid by the previous government to N10,000.
He expressed the hopes that the said bursaries would be paid before the next graduating students proceed for their national youth service.
“We understand the recent paucity and scarcity of funds and the downturn in the economy of our country,” advising the government to appreciate the patience of the students over the bursary.
Comrade Adekunle commended Governor Aregbesola and his government for investing tremendously on education, stressing that the current administration in the state had made an indelible marks in education with its various policies.
“It is understandable that the present government has invested more on education unlike other past governments in the state. But there is need for infrastructural development like good road networks on our campuses, quality laboratory, good research centre, befitting hostel accommodation among others in order for us to continuously compete favourably with our counterparts in other states,” Comrade Adekunle stated.
