ASUU strike: ABU students take protest to Emir’s palace

BY AWWAL MIJINYAWA AND ABDULRAHMAN 
ZAKARIYAU
Bored of staying at home, the bubble finally burst on Tuesday, September 17, 2013. Aggrieved students of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, staged a protest march to the palace of the Emir of Katsina and the Galadima of Kano, where they expressed sadness on the prolonged strike by their lecturers and pleaded with traditional rulers to wade into the lingering feud. 
The protest was led by the Students Union Government, (SUG) President, Comrade Abubakar Aliyu Rafindadi, accompanied by his executives and the presidents union of the 19 Northern states associations, ABU, Zaria chapter.
There was a mild drama between the students and security guards of the palace when the students arrived at the emir of Katsina’s palace in a convoy at about 12:30 pm. They were prevented by the security from entering the palace because they were chanting Aluta songs.
It took the intervention of the senior officials of the palace to douse the tension, and the students were eventually allowed to see the emir with the promise that the chanting would stop.
Comrade Rafindadi told the Emir that they were at the palace to seek his intervention to end the protracted strike. “We the students are here to formally file complaint against the Federal Government and ASUU who want to destroy the future of the Nigerian students and by extension the future of the entire country.” The president also added that “if for any reason we keep on propagating and advocating for transformation, then the focal point of transformation should be to educate the population.
And to educate the population you need to transform the education sector and to transform the education sector you need to invest in education. That is why most developed countries in the world are far ahead of us, because they invest in education,” he said.
He pleaded for the intervention of his Highness the Emir of Katsina and other notable traditional rulers to save the nation’s education sector from collapsing.
Responding, the Emir of Katsina, Dr. Alhaji Abdulmumeeni Kabir Usman,commended the students for the peaceful protest, as he lamented the dilapidated state of public schools.
“This first step you’ve taken is the right step, you followed the due process, as the religion prescribed, for you to have come peacefully to express your grievances knowing full well that you are all well aware of the situation we are in this country. Instead of violence, you all came in peace and harmony, and whoever listens to you should have a sympathy or heart feeling,” he said.
According to the emir, everything worked fine in the past, there was qualitative education, the hostels and classrooms were conducive for learning. But now, the hostels are not even habitable, everything now is dilapidated.
There are many problems in the country, but education is the backbone of any society or country. Instead of few standard universities, we now have uncountable universities and the ones that are dying are dying and the new ones are not even up to standard.
The Emir assured the students that the problem brought to his council would be properly addressed. He also urged the students to always conduct themselves with decorum and be wise enough so as not to allow hoodlums or bad people to hijack the peaceful protest.
He promised to work towards ensuring that the Federal Government and ASUU return to the negotiation table, so as to resolve the issue.
The student leader presented their protest letter and copies of the lectures’ compendium they organized in the school, to the emir.
Awwal is a 400 level Law student, while Abdulrahman is in 300 level Mass Communication, ABU, Zaria)