Students of state-owned universities in Ondo State have given Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa a 14-day ultimatum to resolve the ongoing dispute between the government and university workers and restore academic activities.
Drivetvnews gathered that the ultimatum was issued by the National Association of Nigerian Students Joint Campus Committee (NANS-JCC), Ondo State, after students suspended a planned protest in Akure following an intervention by the national leadership of NANS.
NANS-JCC Chairman in the state, Mayomi Adeboye, said the protest was suspended after the NANS national president informed the students that Governor Aiyedatiwa’s administration was taking steps to address the demands of university workers, including members of ASUU, NASU and SSANU.
Adeboye said the students had agreed to give the government two weeks to resolve the dispute, warning that protests would resume if the deadline was not met.
“We have been home for too long,” he said, urging the governor to prioritise the welfare and academic future of affected students.
He said students were bearing the consequences of a disagreement between the government and university workers despite not being parties to the dispute.
Adeboye also alleged that a student lost a $67,000 scholarship opportunity because the university was not operating.
Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, has reportedly been closed for more than two months, while the industrial action at the University of Medical Sciences has lasted about one month.
The NANS-JCC chairman warned that students would return to the streets if the government failed to resolve the crisis within the 14-day period. He added that the national NANS leadership could mobilise students from other parts of the country to join a statewide protest.
The AAUA Students’ Union President, Folagbade Ayoola, described the prolonged disruption as unbearable, saying students had stayed at home for too long over a dispute they did not cause.
Similarly, the UNIMED Students’ Union President, Adekunle Samuel, said the students demonstrated their willingness to pursue dialogue by suspending the planned protest.
The students are now awaiting government action, with renewed demonstrations possible if academic activities are not restored within the ultimatum.
