ASUU: NLC Insists On Nationwide Strike, Faults Buhari’s Ultimatum

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has revealed it commitment to its planned nationwide strike to ensure the Federal Government puts an end to the prolonged strike by reaching an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Recall that Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, had tagged the planned strike as unlawful, accusing the NLC of being partisan.

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This came a day after reports that President Buhari ordered the Minister of Education to resolve the lingering dispute and report to him within two weeks.

However, during an interview session, the Head, Information and Public Affairs, NLC, Benson Upah, while speaking on the NLC’s commitment to embark on the nationwide strike, said the government could resolve the lingering strike within three days if it were serious about the crisis.

He also insisted that the NLC would go ahead with the nationwide protest.

He stated, “The public action is on the July 26th, and then the mega one is on (July) 27th.  So, I mean, of what effect will two weeks have on that?

“I am saying that had the government asked the minister of education to solve this problem within two or three days, aha. But he is giving him two weeks, and two weeks will come after our protest must have taken place. Don’t you think so? So it’s like take charge of it.’’

He disclosed that despite the ultimatum given by President Buhari to the Minister of Education, nothing had happened to change the proposed rally.

He added, ‘’If the government wants to end this matter today, I assure you that they will be able to fix it in three hours. Remember when the airline operators planned to go on strike, and within hours there was an intervention; remember?

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The summary of what I want to tell you is that nothing has happened for us to change our proposed action. All I know is that we’re going on with our action.’’

Speaking on claims that the protest was illegal, Upah noted that there is freedom of expression and protest within the ambit of the law that is guaranteed by the constitution.

He stated that ASUU is part of the unions that make up the NLC, adding that the federal government has failed to resolve issues with ASUU in the past six months.

“No political sentiment, we are guided purely by national interest. It should be of conscience to the minister of information that for the past six months, our children and wards have been out of school, and the collateral damage of that is simply inestimable; it is mind-boggling,” the NLC spokesman said.

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