The Nasarawa State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) held a peaceful protest for solidarity on Tuesday, in response to a directive from the Union’s national body regarding the prolonged industrial strike action launched by the Academic Staff Union Of University (ASUU).
The state NLC, which had mobilised her members in solidarity, was seen holding a placard with the inscriptions FG End Prolong ASUU Strike, Allow Our Lecturers to Return to Class, No Going Back Until Demands Are Met, and others.
Addressing the protesters at the gate of Government House Lafia, the state capital, Governor Abdullahi Sule said they were not wrong in their decision because it was all about the education of their children.
He explained that the Nasarawa State government was one of the few states that approached the local chapter of ASUU and pleaded with them to return to class, but it was not possible because the directive came from their national body.
According to Sule, “Nasarawa State is one of the few states that approached our own local chapter of ASUU and pleaded with them to return to class so that our students do not stay longer than necessary at the University, but our discussion did not yield a result.”
“Today, as you express your concern, it will likely put more pressure on the government to return to the negotiating table to ensure that all students return to class,” he said.
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He also stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has given the minister of education a marching order to do whatever it takes to ensure that ASUU returns to class.
Sule, on the other hand, promised to convey the message of the peaceful protest to the Nigeria Governors Forum meeting, which is scheduled to take place today, July 26th, 2022, for immediate action.
Earlier in his address, NLC State Chairman Comrade Yusuf Iyah stated that they staged the peaceful protest to exercise their fundamental human right.
Yusuf Iyah stated that the protest was held to express their dissatisfaction with the Academic Staff Union of University’s prolonged strike action.
“As an NLC, we believe they have a long stay,” he says. Our children have been denied access to education, and parents have been subjected to molestation, which is why we have come to see the governor to convey our message from our national headquarters,” Iyah said.
