The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate unions has made good its threat to embark on a three-day nationwide warning protest in solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) that has been on strike for over five months.
Recall that ASUU and other trade unions in the education sector have been on strike over the alleged failure of the government to keep to an agreement reached with the union for better welfare for its members and more funding for universities.
The unionists waved placards with various provocative inscriptions some of which read: Injury to one is injury toll. End ASUU strike now; We are on strike to save education; Education is a right, not privilege. Get our children back to school now and end the strike; Ngige must go; Nigerians don suffer. Enough is enough; Workers are slaving, politicians are smiling
In Kaduna State, the protesters marched to the state house of assembly.
Addressing the lawmakers, the state chairman of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Suleiman, said protest remains the only language the Nigerian government understands.
He said the Nigerian workers were behind ASUU to ensure the government met their demands.
“This is a serious business. We want our children back to school. We are not financially buoyant to send our children abroad for study. Labour is ready to take it back by our struggle.
“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.
“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 competitive service delivery and relevance in line with their mandate,” he said.
Suleiman said labour was dismayed by the federal government’s reluctance to take the necessary steps that can lead to peaceful resolution of the issues in dispute and end the strike.
Responding, the deputy speaker of the state house of assembly, Mr. Isaac Zankai, expressed appreciation to the leadership of the union for their patience.
“On behalf of the honourable speaker, I want to thank you for your patience. Nobody is happy to see the students at home, and we desire to ensure the children are back to school,” he said.
In Lagos, the protesters were led by the NLC Chairman, Mrs. Agnes Sessi, along with human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, former NLC vice president, Mr. Issa Aremu, the zonal coordinator, ASUU, Lagos, Mr. Adelaja Odukoya, among others.
The protesters congregated under the bridge at Ikeja bus stop before moving en masse to the government house Alausa.
Speaking during the protest, Odukoya lamented that Nigerian lecturers are the least paid in the world and attributed the falling standard of education in the country to incessant strikes.
“A professor in Nigeria is earning N460 after tax. That is bad and shameful. We cannot continue like this.
“Our universities are no longer attractive and competitive. This government has continued to. We are here in solidarity to ensure this government does the needful.
“We are tired of being at home and strike is the last option for us. We have an irresponsible and uncaring government.
“The government that cares about its people must invest in education, especially University education. This protest is for the struggle of the soul of this country,” he said.
Addressing the workers, the state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu hailed the peaceful protest.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the state commissioner for establishments, training and pensions, Mrs. Ajibola Ponle, commended the protesters for conducting themselves peacefully and assured them that the governor would deliver their message to the president for appropriate action.
“Mr. Governor, is unavoidably absent due to urgent state matters. He convey his best wishes to you all and thank you for this peaceful protest,” she said.
In Osun State, the chairman of NLC, Mr. Kayode Martins, said the nonchalant of the federal government towards the ASUU strike informed the nationwide action.
Martins who presenting a letter of memorandum of understanding to the deputy governor of the state, Mr. Benedict Alabi said: “We will like to solicit your support and intervention in the dispute between the Federal Government and the unions in the tertiary education sector.
“On our part, we have taken various initiatives to end this strike, including writing to the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, although this elucidated some response it wasn’t sufficient.
“The response to the nonchalance of government has led to escalating our intervention in protest across the 36 states.”
In Kano State, NLC threatened to declare an indefinite strike should the government fail to find a lasting solution to end the ASUU strike.
The union accused President Muhammadu Buhari of lacking genuine interest in developing the education sector, the reason it allowed the industrial dispute to linger for over five months.
NLC chairman in Kano, Mr. Kabiru Minjibir, described the continued sit-at-home of students of public universities across the country as a shameful act of embarrassment to the nation.
NLC demanded immediate release of five months salaries of ASUU members withheld by the Federal Government on the invocation of the ‘No-work-no-pay’ policy.
It also urged replacement of the controversial Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPS) with the indigenous system designed by ASUU.
In Enugu State, the NLC chapter chairman, Mr. Virginus Nwobodo, lamented that the federal government had taken education for granted.
The union leader who took the protest to the governor’s office remarked: “For every great nation, education is taken seriously. If these children are not well nurtured, the country is doomed. Every day, we hear the government borrowing trillions and yet it can’t meet ASUU’s demand. They get involved in white elephant projects that have no bearing on the citizens. We want to see them implement the ASUU agreement.”
Responding, the state governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, told the unionists that he was concerned about the prolonged ASUU strike.
Ugwuanyi, who was represented by the secretary to the state government, Prof. Simon Otuanya, commended the organised labour for the peaceful manner in which they conducted the demonstration.
“We share in your concern. We have always known that education is the foundation of the society. We urge you to continue to engage with the federal government. We will effectively deliver your message to the President,” he said.
In Abia State, the NLC and its affiliate members marched through the major streets of Umuahia, the state capital.
Addressing the members of the affiliate unions, the vice chairman of NLC in the state, Mr. Hope Ekwuruibe, said what concerns the education sector should be a major issue affecting every Nigerian, irrespective of status.
Ekwuruibe who later presented a protest letter to the state governor, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu, said the workers were on a mission that affects everyone.
“This impasse started on 14th February 2022, over non-implementation of an agreement reached with the Federal Government among other demands. We are tired with this happening. Nigeria now has become a caricature before the committee of nations. We are all affected; whether you are poor or rich”.
Ikpeazu who was represented by the secretary to the state government, Mr. Chris Ezem, said he felt the workers’ pain.
“We believe in it; I am part of it. I have two children at home because of this prolonged face-off between the federal government and ASUU and other unions within the educational sector,” he said.
For its part, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) urged the federal government to immediately engage ASUU in constructive negotiations to find a lasting solution to its demands.
President of the union, Mr. Festus Osifo said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
The statement reads: “We strongly condemn the continuous disruption of academic calendar in public tertiary institutions and the condescending attitude of political office holders towards government-owned educational institutions.
“The clear ineptitude in this administration is becoming more worrisome, unfortunately, there appears to be no end in sight, making the country a laughing stock in the comity of nations. Government must engage ASUU without further delay in constructive negotiations to find a lasting solution to their complaints.
“Education is one of the factors that influence the progress of any society but in our clime, it appears there is a deliberate effort to stifle the sector to keep the country perpetually in dark and under-developed.
“Nigerian politicians, unfortunately, do not care because their children and wards school abroad. They arrogantly walk out of meetings called to resolve industrial issues and travel abroad to celebrate with their children on the day of graduation; this level of impunity will not be condoned anymore by the working people.
“The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria is in total support of the national protest, it is a just and patriotic cause. We will be strategizing with the leadership of NLC and ASUU on how best to get the government to meet the demand of the university teachers.
“We wish to stress unequivocally that we are together with the University lecturers and their students in this struggle.
“We are convinced that an injury to one is an injury to all, such, everything must be done to dispense with the impasse to avoid a situation where Congress might be compelled to take further drastic actions.”
