Sunday Ashefon, NANS President

National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened an escalation of the nine month old strike by university teachers, by shutting the 79 private universities.

New president of NANS, Sunday Ashefon made the threat in a PUNCH Online interview programme, The Roundtable.

He lamented that the ongoing strike is the longest industrial action embarked on by the university lecturers, under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU).

Ashefon said NANS would engage the Federal Government and ASUU leaders to find a lasting solution to resolve the stalemate in negotiations between the two arms.

He said if the consultations failed, NANS would move in and shut down all tertiary institutions in the country.

“In the history of ASUU strike, this is the longest ASUU strike so far, going to nine months now. My administration frowns at it.

“There must be a lasting solution, ASUU must stop this strike and Federal Government must listen to ASUU. The two should synergise, they should pity the common students who have been at home.