A’Ibom NLC joins solidarity protest, berates FG over inability to meet varsity workers’ demands

Ini Billie, Uyo

The Nigeria Labour Congress in Akwa Ibom State has criticized the Federal Government for its inability to meet the university workers’ demands.

The NLC said this during a protest march over the lingering crisis in the education sector in solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the entrance to the Government House, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The union expressed dismay over the inability of the Federal Government to meet the demands of the university workers since the strike started more than five months ago.

The NLC chairman in the state, Comrade Sunny James, alongside other workers walked in a slow procession on Tuesday in Uyo chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with various inscriptions.

Some of the placards read, ‘Stop proliferation of universities’, ‘Sign and implement all negotiated agreements’, ‘IPPIS is a fraud’, ‘bring back our students to the University among others.

He decried Nigerians craved for change, which change came in drastic dimensions, leaving them worse off than before.

He said: “For those of you that looked for change, we have experienced a change in a drastic dimension, the change has come to be worse.

“Comrades as we know, for a while now, Nigerian workers who are affiliates of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union, and NATS have been on strike.

“Negotiations have been going back and forth on the matter with the Federal Government and the negotiations have not brought any result, therefore NLC decided to intervene for these reliable affiliates,” he stated.

The chairman expressed displeasure that the Federal Government is yet to constitute a body to resolve the impasse months after it agreed to do so in a meeting with the NLC.

He said, “Arising from a meeting held with FG on 30th of June 2022, it was resolved that the FG should set up a team with the view to resolving the impasse.

“Surprisingly, several months have passed, nothing has been done and Mr President had in his Sallah message to Nigeria workers said enough is enough.

“Just a week ago, the President gave a two weeks marching order to the Ministry of Education to resolve ASUU, NASU, SSANU and NAT matter. One week after, nothing happened.

“That is why NLC decided to deliver this letter to the governor with assurances that he will talk to them and tell them to resolve this matter.

“This particular protest is in three tranches: this is the first tranche, the second one is coming very soon which will take the form of a three-day nationwide strike.

“Then the third one if others are not achieved in a significant record time, NLC has put everything on the ground to embark on a full-fledged strike and they are going to be done concurrently.”

In his response, Governor Udom Emmanuel said the government was concerned over the prolonged strike, adding that any system that cannot ensure continuity is a loser.

Emmanuel who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, said if the strike continued, it would cause negative ripples in the country.

He stated that it would result in capital flight that would force parents to send their children to other countries, and insecurity, adding that ‘an idle mind is a devil’s workshop.’

“Whoever feels that education is too expensive, let him try ignorance. Mr President, your remark about the fact that our boys and girls are idling at home, is far more than that.

“Now within our socio-economic system, we have those who are retiring and those who are being employed. The power of knowledge is what makes the human society develop from one generation to another, and you cannot fool around with knowledge because as you acquire the knowledge you transmit the same in the universities.

“So, we agree with you that you are a loser when you cannot ensure continuity. Those who are graduating and those who are coming in.

“So, by this strike, we are delaying those who are coming into the universities and other tertiary institutions. By this strike we are delaying those who would have gone on NYSC, to serve the country.

“By this same strike, we are discouraging parents from sending their children to Schools in Nigeria. We forget to mention the flight of capital caused by many Nigerians sending their children abroad because of fear of one strike or the other, caused by an inability to address the problems facing the educational system.

“As long as the strike persists children who have completed their SS3, will not be able to further their education. An idle man is a devil’s workshop. And you can also imagine an idle man who is also a hungry man, it is a readily available instrument to be used by the devil. We cannot afford that as a nation.

“So, we are your friend and partner in this struggle,” he said. The governor who expressed delight in the way and manner the NLC conducted the protest, promised to transmit the content of the message to President Muhammadu Buhari.