ASUU officials in street brawl with Socialist party Leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in Cross River state who were on public protest on the streets of Calabar yesterday engaged officials of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) in a street brawl. The SPN were also on similar mission of protest but both parties threw caution to the wind and engaged in a free-for-all fight right opposite Governor Liyel Imoke’s office in Calabar. Daily Trust learnt that trouble started when each of the parties wanted to be the leader of the protest into the governor’s office. When SPN leaders saw that ASUU officials, Non Academic Staff of Universities, National Union of Teachers, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities in collaboration with Joint Action Front (JAF) were having the upper hand, they ordered their boys to shove the ASUU officials aside and take over the protest. This led to both groups dragging themselves about, punching and tearing each other banners and hurling inventives at each other. It took the intervention of mobile policemen on patrol in the neighbourhood and those at the governor’s office to restore order. An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) who led the police team warned them against further disruption of public. Speaking on behalf of the SPN leader Segun Sango, an official that refused to disclose his name, said they were not out to disrupt the mass protest by ASUU and JAF to save public education but to join forces with them as they too have been at the vanguard in condemning what he called ‘federal government’ recalcitrance.’ Chairperson of JAF, Dr Dipo Fashina could not immediately comment on the street brawl by his men and those of SPN but an official of ASUU said SPN came from nowhere to hijack a well-intended protest which they had invested much resources to express their disgust over federal government’s disregard for public education.
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 05:16:37 +0000
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