The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has stated that the Federal Government wanted to test the Nigeria Labour Congress’s (NLC) ability to mobilise itself and carry out its planned protest, which is why it failed to act on the group’s demands before now.
The group had announced that it would take to the streets today, August 2, in protest of certain “anti-poor” policies implemented by the Federal Government, to which the government replied by warning them against the protest, stating that doing so would put the NLC in contempt of court.
However, the NLC did not back down and successfully commenced its protest on Wednesday as planned at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, and in some other states nationwide.
ASUU had confirmed it would join the protest and any other industrial action undertaken by the NLC.
The ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, was absent at the protest ground, however, a highly placed member of ASUU, who requested not to be named, spoke to THE WHISTLER, during the protest. He said that the FG wanted to test the NLC’s ability to mobilise Nigerian workers to take to the streets and they have now proven themselves.
“They (FG) just wanted to test whether the NLC has the ability to mobilize and now we have proven that we can, so I believe the government will do the needful.
“But if they don’t do what the NLC is asking, then, we will all go on strike, which the government does not want because the NLC comprises all workers,” he said.
Also speaking to THE WHISTLER during the protest, the National President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Mohammed Ibrahim, stated that the union joined the struggle to liberate Nigerians and enjoined the FG to let the poor breathe.
Ibrahim, who is also the National Internal Auditor of the NLC, called on the FG to pay the salaries of its workers which were withheld during the period of the union’s last strike, together with ASUU.
“SSANU is one of the affiliates of the NLC and therefore we cannot but join whatever call NLC makes. Most of all, SSANU being one of the four university-based unions is hit by these issues at stake.
“If you look at the NLC demands, one of them is the demand for the payment of our salaries that has been withheld by the Federal Government during our legal strike.
“Therefore, we must join the struggle to liberate our people and to tell the government that our people are suffering and there is a need for them to let the poor breathe.”
