Peeved by the decision of striking university lecturers to extend their strike by another three months, students from the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and Ambrose Alli University, (AAU) Ekpoma took to the streets of Benin again to kick against their continued stay at home.
Armed with banners with different inscriptions such as “No Education, No Election”, and “Education is a Fundamental Human Rights”, amongst others, the protesters who sang solidarity songs as they marched dropped a hint of their intention to disrupt the forthcoming election if their teachers’ grievances are not met.
The peaceful march by the students who tagged themselves ”University of Street” led to a vehicular hold up on the adjourning streets in downtown Benin throughout the duration of the protest.
Under the watchful eyes of the divisional police officers in charge of Oba Market and Aideyan Police Stations, the students who were at the Secretariat of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) came with a popcorn machine that they used to make popcorn and distribute among themselves.
Furious, the Students Union President, UNIBEN, Comrade Foster Amadin lamented that the prolonged strike by the university teachers has made them stay in their various institutions of learning more than necessary.
In line with the adage which holds that when two elephants fight the grasses suffer, Amadin insisted they as students who are supposed to be the proverbial grasses refused to be intimidated.
He wailed: “The truth is, we are not for ASUU. We are not fighting against anybody. All we know and all we want is to go back to classes. Most of us are nearing our 30s because of our continued stay at home.
“We are afraid that we will not serve and also, our job prospects are dwindling as we will be overaged by the time we graduate.
