ASUU Strike: Uniben Students Stage Protest Along Benin-Ore Highway.

Several students of the University of Benin on Wednesday staged a protest a protest on the ever-busy Benin-Ore-Sagamu road to protest the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The students expressed their frustration over the incessant strike of university teachers, urged the federal government to heed to ASUU demands.

They were in their numbers by the entrance of the Ugbowo campus of the university chanting slogans and solidarity songs like “aluta continua…” and “education is our right,” among others.

According to reports the protesting students carried placards with various inscriptions such as “5 years course has turned to 7 years; “FG settle ASUU” and “Enough is Enough.”

Some of them turned the highway into a football field, playing in sets while the students leaders were sharing bottles of water, soft drink, pies and doughnuts to the demonstrators for refreshment.

The students’ action caused a gridlock on the highway for about four hours, forcing many motorists to avoid the route while those going into the Edo capital had to divert their ways.

Consequently, passengers were also stranded as many walked a long distance before getting vehicles to their destinations.

Leading the protest, the President of the Students Union Government (SUG) in the institution, Foster Amadin, said they had been frustrated by the perennial strikes by the academic union.

“Since two days now, we have been to our classes and there have not been lecturers to teach us. So we have nothing to do.”

Also Read: ASUU set to go on a one-month warning strike.

ASUU declared a four-week warning strike on Monday, after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Lagos, to compel the Federal Government to implement the renegotiated 2009 agreement it had with government.