Faced with the prospect of a prolonged increase in unemployment, poverty and the continuing collapse of enterprises in the economy, the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has declared its support for the indefinite strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) since Monday June 22, 2009, to compel the Federal government to fulfil agreement reached with it

The ERC has also called on all Nigerian students to support the strike action and resist all government blackmails to discredit striking lecturers.

The campaign group at a conference organised to draw students support for ASUU's demands at the weekend through its National Coordinator, Hassan Taiwo Soweto maintained that the demands of ASUU are not selfish and will benefit Nigerian students if met by government.

He said "These demands include adequate funding of education, adequate remuneration of staff, genuine autonomy and democratization of the decision making organs in Universities and the recall of the remaining sacked 44 lecturers of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN)".

"Besides, the Federal government has been playing games with ASUU's demands for more than 7 years now during which time several agreements have been reached with ASUU only for government to fail to implement them. It is the insincerity of the Federal government that has forced ASUU to declare an indefinite strike especially after a recent 2-weeks warning strike action was discountenanced by the Federal government", he added.

According to Soweto, While unarguably, the current ASUU strike will bring pains to students, we urge all Nigerian students to understand that ASUU is a victim of government intransigence and the government is to be blamed for provoking this strike action.

"We condemn every blackmails and propaganda of government to paint ASUU as the cause of the frequent disruption of the academic calendar. We urge all students and indeed parents to discountenance the blackmails of government and instead join force with ASUU and other staff unions to compel government to fulfil its constitutional duties to education funding".

"We cannot continue to pretend when education in Nigeria is collapsing by the minute while basic and quality education eludes Nigerian students and youths", he cautioned.

The implication of the current strike action coupled with the absence of conducive conditions for learning, Soweto argued, means that government has breached this social contract.

He stressed the fact that education is not free and parents and guardian pay enormous and sometimes outrageous fees make the loss of Nigerian students immeasurable and a double jeopardy as value is not gotten for money paid for education.

He however said, "The current strike action as it elongate the academic calendar will put further financial burden on parents supporting their wards in the school but government is not bothered. But we warn that if government does not immediately fulfil agreement reached with ASUU as condition precedent for striking lecturers to go back to class, Nigerian students will hold government responsible for every loss incurred. We shall organise protests and demonstrations nationwide in solidarity with striking lecturers until the Federal government meets the demands".