Gridlock as protesting students block Lagos Airport Road over ASUU strike

*The protesting students, in their hundreds, are  demanding an immediate end to the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, urging the Federal Government to meet the demands of the lecturers to enable them to resume academic activities

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Several University students protesting against the seven-month industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), under the aegis of under the aegis of the NANS South-West Zone, in the morning Monday, September 19, 2022, blocked a section of the access road to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, the aviation hub of the West African country.

ConsumerConnect learnt the students, who were blocked by security operatives from gaining access into the airport arena, took over the road, preventing traffic flow both inward and outward from the airport.

The ensuing situation caused a gridlock along the axis as the vehicular movement in and out of the airport was stalled.

The students, in their hundreds, demanded an immediate end to the strike, as they urged the Federal Government to meet the demands of the striking lecturers in order to enable them to resume academic activities.

A combination of the protesting NANS members and security operatives were reportedly on standby to maintain order amid the protest.

Benjamin Hundeyin, Spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, confirmed that Police officers had been deployed to the scene to maintain law and order, Channels TV also said.

Hundeyin, in a telephone chat Monday morning, was quoted to have said, “our men are there.”

Likewise, Giwa Temitope, National Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the National Association of Nigerian Students,  affirmed that the police personnel were at the protest scene in Lagos.

Giwa said: “They are here to protect us. Nobody has been harassed, but we are not relenting, ading, “no retreat, no surrender.”

Last Friday, the protesting NANS members had  threatened to ground activities at the local and international airports across Nigeria, effective Monday, September 19, as part of their continued efforts at driving home their grouse and/or demands that the lingering ASUU strike is suspended in the interest of the University students.

It is also recalled that the  students recently blocked the popular Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Ibadan-Ife Road to protest over the current ASUU industrial action in the country.