Scores of students of the five universities in Rivers and Bayelsa states yesterday staged a peaceful protest in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.
The protesters barricaded the ever-busy East-West Road at Choba Junction, for several hours.
The students were from the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT); Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Port Harcourt; Ignatius Ajuru (formerly Rivers State) University of Education, Port Harcourt; the Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island and the Federal University, Otuoke, both in Bayelsa State.
The students, who said they were tired of sitting at home, chanted anti-Federal Government songs.
There were riot and regular policemen at the scene to prevent a breakdown of law and order. Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and patrol vehicles were deployed in the area.
The students carried placards bearing various inscriptions.
Some of the placards read: "FG, respect 2009 agreement with ASUU"; "President Jonathan, you were a lecturer, let ASUU members return to work now"; "Nigerian universities' students want to return to classroom"; "Politicians' children are schooling overseas"; "FG must end ASUU strike now".
The ASUU Chairman at UNIPORT, Prof. Antonia Okerengwo, told reporters that there was nothing to renegotiate in the 2009 agreement between the union and the government.
He urged the Federal Government to honour the agreement it voluntarily entered into with ASUU.
Okerengwo assured that ASUU members would return to the classroom as soon as the Federal Government honoured the 2009 agreement.
