All-African Students’ Union Condemns Planned Protests, Warns Against Incendiaries
The All-African Students’ Union (AASU) has issued a strong statement condemning a planned mass shutdown of major cities in Nigeria, calling for the sack of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Limited), Mr. Mele Kyari.
In a statement issued in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by Cde Abrhaley Arefaine Hailenchael, Executive Director to the Presidency of AASU, the union expressed its disapproval of the planned protests, describing them as “infamous and vociferous.”
The statement warned against incendiaries who seek to merchandise national crises without considering the impact on students in Nigeria and elsewhere.
“We condemn in strong terms the planned protests, which are nothing but a call for chaos and anarchy,” said HE Osisiogu Osikenyi E., President of AASU. “We will not stand idly by while incendiaries jeopardize the security of students and undermine the quality of education in Nigeria and Africa.”
The union aligned itself with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), which has called for “peaceful and constructive engagement” with stakeholders on the petroleum pricing impasse in Nigeria.
AASU emphasized the importance of peaceful engagements and eschewed violent confrontations, urging students to exhaust all legitimate and peaceful options before resorting to protests.
“We encourage students to engage in peaceful and constructive dialogue with stakeholders to address their grievances,” said Cde Abrhaley Arefaine Hailenchael. “We will not support any actions that compromise the security of students and undermine the quality of education.”
The statement concluded by warning incendiaries to desist from their actions, which have no bearing on the quality of education in Nigeria and Africa.
AASU reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful engagements and constructive dialogue, urging students to work towards a peaceful and prosperous Africa.
