NLC in Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Benin, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Kastina, Kebbi, Kaduna, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and Taraba protest belonged ASUU strike demanded reopening with the immediate effect.
Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Anambra State, on Tuesday, blocked the Aroma axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway to protest the five-month-old strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The Awka protest was part of the nationwide solidarity protest earlier scheduled by the national leadership of the NLC.
In Anambra, workers trouped out in their numbers to participate in the protest. They said that they were no longer happy about the industrial action which has kept their children at home.
Chairperson of the NLC Mrs Chinwe Orizu, who led the protesting workers, appealed to the federal government to take the necessary actions to end the strike.
She said that there was a need for the government to reach an agreement with the ASUU so that their children could return to their various schools.
NLC said that it would be in the best interest of the government to dialogue with the leadership of ASUU and ensure that the universities are opened for academic activities as soon as possible.
NLC protests ground Yenagoa, … Prolonged strike will affect 2023 polls – NASU
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliated unions on Tuesday joined the nationwide protest calling on the federal government to resolve the lingering industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The protesting workers including members of ASUU, Non-Academic Union of Allied and Education Institutions, (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and Nigerian Union of Journalists took off from the OMPADEC field in Yenagoa and marched to the Government House.
The protesting workers escorted by armed Policemen in six vans were armed with placards with inscriptions such as “FG don’t wreck the future of our children”, “ASUU says no to subvention policy”, “No to politics with Education, end ASUU Strike”, “Education is a right, not a privilege”, and “A good government prioritise education before politics”.
The NLC Chairman, Mr John Ndiomu who addressed the workers declared that the working class are those suffering from the ASUU because they cannot afford to send their children abroad. He stated that the NLC would sustain its action to ensure the federal government fulfils the demands of ASUU.
Also speaking the Bayelsa State Chairman of NASU, Comrade Patani Alfred said they are tired of watching their children sit at home.
“This is our protest. Our children are out of school for too long. We are tired of our children staying at home. All that we are doing is a protest to ensure the government is forced to have a listening ear. We have three phases, after this if the government does not do anything, we are going to a three-day warning strike after which then we go for a full-fledged strike,” he said.
The NASU Chairman, Federal University of Otuoke, Ebhesi Godswill, threatened that workers would not allow the 2023 elections to hold if the federal government does not listen to the demand of ASUU and other workers.
“We are joining this protest because of the lukewarm attitude of the federal government to the plight of workers and students. We are tired of severally making them see the reason why they should fulfil the agreement reached with all unions, ASUU, NASU, and SSANU. Government should disband the Nimi Briggs renegotiation committee. In addition to this, to avoid strikes all that is due to university teachers should be included in their salaries. If these issues are not addressed, it would affect the 2023 elections, because workers won’t allow them to hold. We would continue this protest until the needful is done,” he said.
Heavy security, gridlock as NLC, others protest ASUU strike in Benin
The peaceful solidarity protest staged by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Civil Society Organisations over the five months old strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and others, caused gridlock in various parts of Benin City, even as there was a heavy security presence, especially at the main campus of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and its Ekheuan satellite campus.
As early as 7 am, armed and unarmed police personnel have taken over the gates of the two campuses of UNIBEN in anticipation of the protest by the labour union and civil society leaders and members who had gathered at the Benin Museum ground in Oba Ovonranmwen Square (Ring Road) as a take-off point.
From there, the group marched to Government House at Osadebey Avenue, creating gridlock along adjoining streets across the city in the process.
Speaking at the government house, the Acting State Chairman of NLC, Odion Olaye, said: “We are here in solidarity with our affiliate unions in our universities as directed by the national leadership of NLC through the emergency NEC (National Executive Committee) meeting we held on June 30th.
“We believe there is a need for the federal government to take action on this which is the reason for this letter from the national president to be submitted to the governor, Godwin Neghoghase Obaseki.”
Receiving the protesters, Governor Obaseki, represented by his Chief of Staff, Osaigbovo Iyoha, regretted the inability of the federal government to resolve the five-month-old strike.
He also commented on the internal crisis in tertiary institutions in the state and said the governor would soon fix a date to meet with the unions.
Benue NLC joins nationwide protest
In response to the nationwide protest rally called by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), workers in Benue State on Tuesday trooped out in large numbers to join their counterparts across the country to demand an end to the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The development led to the closure of public institutions and businesses within the state capital city except for primary and post-primary schools.
It was gathered that the NLC had commenced a peaceful across major streets within the Makurdi metropolis as early as 7:30 am, a development which made civil servants who were resuming work at the State Secretariat along Otukpo road take to their heels.
The protesting workers while chanting solidarity songs moved through the busy Kashim Ibrahim Road and terminated the procession at the Government House Makurdi.
Speaking at the Government House, State NLC Chairman, Godwin Anya disclosed that the two-day protest was part of activities lined up to compel the federal government to meet the agreement it entered into with ASUU.
Responding, the State Governor, Samuel Ortom while receiving the protesting workers at the gate of Government House, appealed to the federal government to honour its agreement with ASUU.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Tony Ijohor (SAN), the Governor lamented the lack of seriousness on the part of the federal government towards addressing the issues at stake to resolve the five months old strike.
“I wish to commend the NLC for embarking on the solidarity protest. For over five months, our children have been home and since the federal government is not doing anything about it, Benue State Government is fully in support of your action and we will communicate to the federal government.
“As far as we are concerned, this strike is uncalled for. If you entered into an agreement with somebody go and honour the agreement. If they (FG) have issues, please discuss it among them.
“We can’t have a situation whereby we lock up our Universities for going to six months now. This is unacceptable.
“Let me call on the federal government that this issue of no work no pay should be revisited. It doesn’t make sense. This ASUU strike is not about salary, they have so many issues. So, go and address the issues.
“We are different from the federal government because, despite the fact that our state varsity is on sympathy strike, we are still paying them. Let FG borrow from Benue State, you cannot just stop their salary,” the governor reiterated.
ASUU: Cross River NLC threatens total shutdown, demands quick resolution of lingering strike
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate unions in Cross River have threatened to shut down business in the state if the lingering ASUU-FG face-off is not resolved immediately.
The two-day warning strike is in compliance with the directive from the national body in solidarity with ASUU, which has been on a five-month-old industrial action.
ASUU declared a trade dispute with the federal government in March, in protest of the poor condition of service and inadequate infrastructures in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
The unions marched through major streets within the major metropolis and then addressed government officials at Cross River State House of Assembly, Governor’s Office and the federal secretariat.
At the Government House, the NLC State Chairman, Ben Ukpepi, said: “It is no news that our children have been home for about 5 months. Today we are here as NLC, We are waging into these issues to ensure that the fight ends.
“Either by compulsion or not, let our children return to school. It is disheartening, this is just a test and if after tomorrow nothing is done to address ASUU’s challenges, the entire Nigeria shall be on strike and we would be shut down.
“We call on the governor to ensure that he supports ASUU, to resolve issues holding our children back at home, and let them do the needful,” he said.
In his response, the Speaker, Cross River state House of Assembly, Honourable Eteng Jonah Williams, said: “For me, NLC is coming too late. ASSU is your child and you waited too late. NLC is right that our children are at home for too long. We must take care of our schools.
“We are not going to keep quiet, I am taking your message to the speakers’ conference. Enough of these meetings and committees without actions. We need action now. So, all assembly workers should join you in the protest until we get to the end of this matter.
“We cannot keep quiet, enough is enough. I stand with Nigerian Workers,” the speaker remarked.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of ASUU University of Cross River state (UNICROSS), Patrick Ineji, appealed that the government should do the needful to resolve these issues.
The spokesperson for the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), John Owan, said: “For us, we are insisting that the 2009 agreement is long overdue. All the unions are together and so government should sit up and bring back our children to school.”
Responding, Dr Alfred Mboto, Permanent Secretary, Governor’s Office, said he will take the message to the governor.
Delta labour unions want FG to accede to ASUU demands
Members of the organised labour unions in Delta State on Tuesday joined their counterparts across the country on a protest in solidarity with striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The unions under the auspices of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), marched through major streets of Asaba, the state capital, to the Government House.
Dressed in various branded shirts, they decried the non-challant attitude of the Federal Government to the demands of ASUU which has resulted in the five-month strike by the lecturers.
They also chanted solidarity songs, displaying few placards and banner with the inscription ‘Enough is Enough’ ‘End ASUU Strike Now’ among others.
Speaking on behalf of the state chairman of NLC, Goodluck Ofobroku, the first vice chairman, Comrade Osita Okwudi lamented the lingering strike in the nation.
He observed that despite the state universities that are not in strike, ASUU strike had crippled tertiary education in the country.
“We are appealing to the Federal Government to accede to the demands of university lecturers to allow students return to their classrooms.
“If no compliance by the Federal Government at the end of the solidarity exercises, labour will be forced to shut down the nation’s economy,” Okwudi said.
Addressing the protesters at the Government House gate, Secretary to State Government, Patrick Ukah expressed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s governor’s support to ensure universities are reopen nationwide for commencement of academic activities.
Ekiti NLC barricades major roads, protests against FG’s unconcerned attitude to lecturers’ demands
There were gridlocks in major roads of Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State on Tuesday as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state embarked on protests in support of the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The failure of the federal government to resolve the prolonged strike by university workers had triggered the directive by leadership of the NLC in the country.
Major roads in the state capital were barricaded by the workers who paraded various inscriptions on their placards. The blockage had caused motorists and commuters to be stranded for hours, while economic activities were also paralysed.
The student union also joined in the protest as they alleged “nonchalant attitude and insensitivity of federal government to the plight of the lecturers”.
The protesters also made their way to the House of Assembly complex, but no representative of government showed up to receive or address them, they described the action of government as “disrespectful”.
The NLC Chairman, Comrade Kolapo Olatunde, who described the protest as tips of the ice berg” said
“We solicit the support and intervention of the state government in the matter of the dispute between the federal government and the unions in the tertiary education subsector .
“This dispute has manifested in a strike action for the past five months and has come at a huge cost to the students, the university staff, parents, the government, other stakeholders and the entire country.
“The strike is over the non-observance by government on the agreement it voluntarily entered into with the unions. It has also been about imposition of Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) on the university unions to which they have taken objection with credible reasons.
“We are dismayed by the federal government paralysis and reluctance to take the necessary step that could lead to the peaceful resolution of the issue in dispute and by extension , end the strike.”
NLC rally: Katsina workers demand end to FG-ASUU face-off
Accusing the Federal Government of “non-chalant attitude“ towards addressing the prolonged crisis in the nation’s universities, members of Katsina State branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday, marched through major streets of the metropolis to the House of Assembly on Kaita road where they presented a protest letter to the Speaker, Tasiu Maigari.
The NLC Chairman, Hamisu Husseini, who led the protesting workers told the Speaker that, “this rally is to demonstrate our dismay at the non-chalant attitude of the Federal Government towards addressing the crisis in the universities.”
He justified the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities arguing that it was aimed at promoting development of the institutions.
“We are not happy with the Federal Government for toying with the future of our children and we shall no longer be silent on the issue,” the NLC leader said.
Responding, the Speaker said that the Legislature was in solidarity with the Labour on the matter and pledged to liase with the relevant authorities towards resolving the problem.
We are solidly behind ASUU- Kaduna NLC
Kaduna State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday to protested in solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) following the lingering kecturers strike in the country, saying it is solidly behind the union.
The protesters assembled at the NLC State Secretariat on Golf Course Road, from where they marched to the state House of Assembly through Independence Way.
Leading the protest, Chairman Kaduna State Council of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Magaji Suleiman, said protest is the only language that Nigerian government understands, adding that they are solidly behind ASUU to ensure Federal government does the needful.
According to Suleiman, “This is a serious business. We want our children back to school. We are not financially bouyant to send our own children to abroad for study.”
He said, “Labour is ready to take it back by our struggle”, adding that fourty-seven (47) trade union organizations in kaduna state graced the protests.
Ayuba, who delivered a two-page written documents, further stressed that the union is dismayed by the federal government’s paralysis and reluctance to take the necessary steps that could lead to the peaceful resolution of the issues in dispute and by extension, end the strike.
He said: “On our part, we have taken various initiatives to end this strike including writing to the Ministers of Education and Labour and Employment and the presidency. Although this elicited some response from government, it was tokenistic and not sufficient.
“However, we find it appropriate to appeal to you to use your good offices and good conscience to get the federal to bring to an end this strike action.
“The immediate concern would be the immediate payment of the withheld salaries of university staff, shelve IPPIS, honour the agreements government entered into or re-
negotiate in good faith, rebuild confidences, establish a frame work for repositioning our universities for compeitve service delivery and relevance in line with their mandate.
Your Excellency, this matter, we dare say, is of grave importance national, hence this appeal to you. While we await your response,” he added.
Receiving the protesters at the state House of Assembly, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Isaac Auta Zankai, appreciated the Labour leaders, saying “On behalf of the Honourable Speaker, I want to thank you for your patience. Nobody is happy to see the students at home and our desire is to ensure the children are back to school.
“The Speaker and Chairman, Northern Speakers Forum, Hon. Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani, is currently in Abuja, over the issue and we know soon positive response will be heard.” He noted.
Kebbi: Bagudu receives letter as NLC holds protest rally
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) alongside the Academic Staff Union of the University (ASUU) and other affiliated unions held a protest rally across major streets in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, over the prolonged ASUU strike.
Led by the state NLC chairman, Umar Halidu Alhasaan, the protesters, armed with placards, sought for intervention of Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu to end the strike.
Addressing the protesters, Alhassan explained that the labour leaders were on the streets to protest because the most affected students are the children of masses who were in public schools.
According to him, “ASUU has been on strike for the past five months and most of those affected are the children of masses. What we are doing here today is not only to end the strike, but to fight for the good learning environment, and best infrastructure in the universities.”
He added that the NLC will continue the agitation until the issue is properly addressed, and stressed that the labour would not hesitate to go into total lockdown.
In his remarks, the Kebbi State Chairman of ASUU, Yayale Ibrahim Danjuma, said that the strike was necessary to press harder on the government to honour its promise, stressed that the universities are lacking facilities to teach students, while the salaries of the lecturers were not something to write home about.
Similarly, the leader of the Students Unions in the state, Muhammed Muhammed Majo, also said that education is the right of all Nigeria’s children, not a privilege, stressed that they are tired of staying at home and appreciated ASUU, NLC for their collaborations.
Presenting their protest letter to Governor Bagudu, on behalf of the NLC National President, Alhassan commended the governor for being among the five governors who have paid up the pensioners’ gratuities, regularly paying workers’ salaries and being committed to the welfare of the workers in the state.
He explained that they were at Government House to present their protest letter to him for intervention in the ASUU strike, and stressed that, as the chairman of the Progressives Governor’s Forum, they believe his intervention would end the prolonged industrial strike.
In his reaction, Governor Bagudu, who described the strike as worrisome, urged the unions in the state to come out with practical solutions to end the strike as well as how to be funding Nigeria’s education sector.
The governor explained the most challenging thing confronting the education sector is adequate funding which previous governments including military administrators have been seeking how to address it.
Bagudu appealed to the NLC in the state to set a pace for other Unions in Nigeria, by not following the footsteps of others, rather they should come up with solutions on how to end the challenges facing Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
“It is important for all the stakeholders to come together to find solutions to the funding of the education sector in Nigeria. No single institution should be closed for one day. We should be able to agree on why are we facing revenue reduction. Let us start analysing the situation, and come out with how to solve the problem.
“The NLC love Nigeria, just like all of us love Nigeria. Let us narrow the challenges, on how we could resolve this so that our institutions could receive better funding,” he said.
He thanked the NLC leaders for the visit and presentation of their letter to him.
Reopen public universities now, Kogi NLC tells FG
In compliance with the directive of the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to embark on a two-day protest in support of the ongoing ASUU strike, the Kogi State chapter of the NLC on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest calling on the federal government to allow the students resume classes now while negotiation continues with striking unions
NLC described the federal government as wicked and Insensitive to the plights of the students and Unions in the nation’s Tertiary Institutions saying their indifference has caused a serious setback to the education of our youths.
Speaking at the Government House Lokoja, the NLC chairman, Onuh Edoka, represented by his vice, Simeon Opaluwa Eleojo, lamented that the federal government’s insensitivity has caused untold hardships to parents, the children who have been at home and the workers in the tertiary Institutions who are being owed for months.
He said as the future leaders of the nation, keeping the students at home has worsened the security situation in the country pointing out that an idle mind is usually the devil’s workshop, and called on the federal government to immediately return the students who have stayed at home for about six months back to school.
The NLC while appealing to the state governor to urgently intervene in the matter, said the federal government should immediately approve the UTAS payment system for the lecturers, pay outstanding salaries and reposition the universities.
Highlights of the peaceful protests were a march through the Stella Obasanjo Library to the Government House, where a letter was handed over to the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who was represented by his deputy, Chief Edward Onoja, for onward delivery to the federal government.
Nasarawa NLC joints nationwide protest
The Nasarawa State Chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday joined the nationwide protest to mount pressure on the federal government to expedite action to end the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Speaking during the procession from Total Filling Station to Government House Lafia, Yusuf Iya, Nasarawa State NLC Chairman, said the protest was in solidarity with ASUU as directed by the National Headquarters of the union.
Iya said the prolonged strike has negatively affected the education sector and kept the students idle and therefore making them vulnerable to vices.
He said that it is unfortunate that the government that entered into an agreement with ASSU had reneged in fulfilling its part of the agreement.
“What offence have the lecturers committed for accepting to train the manpower needed to develop the country that the government is treating them with as if they are not relevant.”
He also appealed to Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State to table their position on the matter before the Nigeria Governors’ Forum that the government should meet the demands of ASSU and pay them their withheld salaries immediately.
The NLC chairman promised that the union would sustain its actions until the government resolve all issues and end the ASUU strike.
Addressing the protesters, Gov. Sule lauded the leadership of the union as well as members for conducting themselves peacefully.
Governor Sule added that the Nasarawa State Government is as concerned about the lingered strike as the NLC is and promised to table their issue at the meeting of the Governors’ Forum for prompt intervention.
He explained that the state government is up to date in the payment of salaries of lecturers at the Nasarawa State University Keffi, despite being part of the ongoing strike.
He promised to continue to give priority to the education sector because it is key to the development of the state.
Daily Sun reports that members of the 32 affiliates were seen carrying placards with different inscriptions such as “FG end ASSU strike now”, “enough is enough”, among others.
Niger: ASUU-NLC protest grounds business activities in Minna, Urges ASUU members, students to get their PVCs
The joint nationwide of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) led to business and government activities being brought to a stand still on Tuesday in Minna, the Niger State capital, as ASUU and members of organised labour marched along the major road of the city.
The protesters, comprising ASUU members from the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna and the state-owned Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai and members of the organized labour defied the cloudy weather in Minna and assembled at the labour house, IBB road in Minna as early as 7:00 am.
The protest march took off at 9:00 am and brought vehicular movements to a standstill, with the demonstrators walking the major road in the state capital, and terminating at the state House of Assembly, where they were received by the Speaker, Hon Bawa Wuse.
The placard-carrying protesters received solidarity cheers from the public as they walked the road under heavy security to avoid the protest being hijacked by hoodlums.
Addressing the protesters, Niger NLC Vice Chairman Bako Abdulrahman, who stood in for the chairman, lamented that the ASUU strike has led to students engaging in social vices due to idleness while ASUU members are faced with hardship due to the halting of their salaries.
He urged ASUU members to get their PVCs ready as that is the only way they effect any change in the forthcoming general elections.
He stressed the need for members to also rally their households to come out and vote during the elections, adding: “The PVC is an agent of change. During elections, the civil servants and ASUU are those who are used as returning officers. We have the weapon to deal with them, we have the weapon to bring in those we want to rule us. We cannot allow miscreants to continue to preside over our destiny.”
Speaking on behalf of the students, the Niger state President of the National Association of Niger state Students (NANISS), Saliha Buhari, also resonated with the Vice Chairman’s point that the PVC is a weapon to effect change.
According to him, the students are coming up with a policy of ‘no resumption, no election’ stressing that they will not allow any election to hold if they do not go back to school.
Buhari stated that students may be forced to go for the opposition parties because the APC government has shown them that education is not on their priority list.
“To every student, please get your PVC, your PVC is your weapon to get the change desired. If ASUU demands are not met and we are not called back to our various campuses, we will implement the ‘no resumption, no election’ move.
“If we do not go back to our schools, we are going to call on all Nigerian students to vote for the opposition party because the APC government have shown us that they will not give our education priority, they do not care about us or want us to go to school. We are tired. Enough is enough,” she said.
The FUT Minna ASUU Chairman, Gbolahan Bolarin, appreciated the NLC for showing their solidarity with the plights of the lecturers saying that he hopes the government would take steps towards meeting their demands without delay.
NLC ground Plateau in solidarity protest with academic workers’ strike
Commercial activities in Plateau State were grounded for hours Tuesday as a result of a solidarity protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) to press home their demands.
The protest commenced at about 9:30 am at the secretariat junction flyover bridge, where joint unions and some civil society organisations (CSOs) converged and staged a peaceful walk to the Plateau State House of Assembly.
The protestants occupied major streets in the state capital which obstructed vehicular movement for hours while some shops around closed in solidarity.
The Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Plateau state, Eugene Manji, described the inability of the Federal Government to meet the demands of the striking workers as an attempt to setback university education in the country.
He insisted that if the strike is not resolved within a short period of time, the union will mobilise for a nationwide protest.
He lamented that the prolonged ASUU strike has negative effects on all aspects of lives, particularly educational development.
Manji called on Governor Simon Lalong to resolve the lingering crisis in the education sector between the Plateau state government-owned tertiary institutions that have been on strike before the current ASUU industrial action.
ASUU chairperson of the University of Jos chapter Lazarus Maigoro said the continuous ASUU strike was to ensure that the federal government do not stop funding the educational sector.
He revealed that the federal government has planned to introduce payment of turion fee of about N 750,000 Naira per student on all its owned tertiary institutions.
Maigoro explained that should such a policy come to stay, most Nigerian parents may not be able to sponsor their children into tertiary institutions.
He noted with regret that due to economic hardship, most parents may not be able to fund the education of their children.
He also revealed that some lecturers haven’t received a salary for 7 months before the strike began due unfriendly policy of the federal government which introduced IPPIS in the university system.
The Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Universities, University of Jos chapter, Anthony Joro, said 25 per cent of the total budget of Nigeria was expected to be spent on education and lamented that only less than 5 per cent of the budget is allocated to education.
Taraba: Market women, youths join NLC solidarity protest over ASUU strike
Market women and youth organisations in Taraba State on Tuesday joined the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in a solidarity protest with the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) over its ongoing strike.
Mrs Agnes Panya, aka Mama Kifi, and Mrs Ashetu Kaura, who spoke to our correspondent during the protest in Jalingo said they have decided to join the protest to protect the academic future of their children.
According to them, ensuring that their children acquire higher education was the only hope for survival when old age finally exit them from the market since most of them have long ago lost their husbands.
“We believe that our children would have reasonable jobs to take care of us and build our families if they acquire higher education when the old age finally exit us from the market.
“Some of us have many years ago lost our husbands but the hope that is keeping us is our children who are in the university.
“We believe that they will grow and serve as children and husbands if they acquire higher education but if the universities are not open for them to go back to school then, our hope would be lost.
“70 per cent of bandits and criminals in Nigeria are non-educated youth, we are afraid that these children may result to join criminal groups due to idleness if the institutions remain closed,” the market women expressed.
Mr Toochukwu Michael, the president of the Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria at St Justina’s Pastoral Centre, Jalingo, told our correspondent that though he was not a student, he had to close his shop like most other young people to join the NLC in protesting against the too long strike action and government’s lack of seriousness.
“Most of my members are students. Some of them are supposed to have graduated by now but they have been made to stay at home for almost half a year now. This is wickedness. That is why I have mobilised my members to join the NLC in this solidarity protest to register our grievances and urge the federal government to do the right thing expediently” he said.
The NLC state Chairman Mr Peter Jediel told Representatives of the Taraba state governor at the government house that the NLC in solidarity with other unions in the state was acting based on national directives of the NLC.
Jediel blamed the senior civil servants in Nigeria like the permanent Secretaries who were not telling politicians the truth due to their personal pocket which according to him has dragged the academic status in Nigeria to the present situation.
He appealed to the state government to speed up moves to ensure that the Federal government end the ASSU strike within one week.
Meanwhile, Taraba State Commissioner for Special Duty and Humanitarian Affairs, Taninga Binga, responding on behalf of Governor Darius Ishaku, promised that the state government would collaborate with other states in the country since it was a nationwide matter to ensure that the striking lecturers resume academic activities.
(The Sun)
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