The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ebonyi State Chapter, has joined its counterparts all over the country to organise a solidarity rally to end the lingering strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The NLC State Chairman, Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor disclosed this while addressing the mammoth crowd at PA Ngele Oruta Township Stadium Abakaliki, the State Capital.
Comrade Nwafor said Nigerian Government must end this Strike which has lasted more than expected.
He informed that Nigerian Government should implement all the agreements with labour Unions
“Our leaders must know that whatever seed you sow, you shall reap. This Strike must end to enable the Nigerian child come back to class and learn so that they can become the supposed Leaders of tomorrow”. Nwafor said.
The ASUU Chairman of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufualike Ikwo (AEFUNAI), Dr. Egwu Oguguo said “the longer Nigeria Students stayed at home, the more the insecurity of the nation increases because an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”
“Our Children must go back to school no matter what it will cost the Nigerian Government, for the Government and its resources is for the living”. Egwu added.
The AEFUNAI Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, Comrade Chigbata Emmanuel said, ASUU rejects Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in its entirety and as a matter of fact, it is not working for the good of the Universities.
“University community is a very diverse one and as such, IPPIS cannot work in such institutions”. Chigbata said.
The Chairman Academic Staff Union of Universities, Professor Ikechukwu Igwenyi said the wickedness of our leaders must come to an end.
“Our leaders are doing all these rubbish of lingering the Strike because their children are studying in public Nigerian Universities, take for instance, if the children of the Governor’s were to be in Nigerian school, they would not allow the Strike for even one day”
“The welfare of the lecturers is not something to write home about, as it stands right now, lecturers are living below the poverty level”.
The Ebonyi State University SSANU Chairman, Mr. Elias Odigbo said all the agreements between Nigeria Government and Labor Unions must be implemented for effective productivity as the Government has not been fair with the welfare of workers.
The protesters matched from Pastoral Center Mile 50 with placards of various inscriptions like “Federal Government, honour unions, “FG bring our children back to school” and so on.
The Highlight of the protest was a submission of the protest letter by NLC to the Governor of Ebonyi State through Office of the Secretary to State Government.
Olusola Akintonde
