By Abba Hamisu Sani
Africa-Press – Nigeria. Nigerian Labour Congress which is an umbrella to all labour Unions in Nigeria have resorted recently to embark on a mega protest across the Country on solidarity to Academic Staff Union of Universities strike which keep Nigerian Students at home for six Months .
Federal Government have been signing different Memorandum of Understanding with ASUU under various regimes.
But the Union placed so much hope on the Buharis Government.
Series of ASUU Strike under Buhari
President Buhari took over government in 2015 with ASUU and the government under President Goodluck Jonathan locked in unending strike.
Buhari came with an aura of a savior and ended the strike.
It was thought that there won’t be any ASUU strike under Buhari but that is far from the truth.
Available information shows that under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, undergraduates in universities across the country have lost at least 13 months from their educational calendar, owing to the recurring strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The first ASUU strike under the Buhari administration began on August 17, 2017.
This was as a result of the default from the government after they had signed an MOU with the union.
Out of the N1.3trn requested by ASUU, only N200bn was paid, which caused the association to embark on a one-week warning strike in November 2016 to press for their funds and the action nded in September 2017.
The second ASUU strike started on November 4, 2018, which lasted till February 7, 2019, making it a total of 95 days.
This was also as a result of the outstanding issues between the Federal Government and ASUU as regards to the 2009 agreement and the MoU of 2013.
Some of the Demands of ASUU
ASUU is agitating for the rescue of 40 federal government Universities, plus about 36 state Universities which are involved in these unending strikes.
The request include ; Funding for the revitalization of public Universities,
Payment of outstanding earned Academic allowances, 26% budgetary allocation to the education sector in line with United Nations standards and Implementation of University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) in place of IPPIS for payment of salary and allowances that could be peculiar to a university system.
peculiar Pension matters for university staff and
Constitution of visitation panels for universities.
NLC called for the removal of Ministers of Labour and Education
Kabiru Ado Minjibir who is the Chairman of Nigerian Labour Congress Kano State chapter called for the removal of the Ministers of Labour and employment Dr.
Chris Ngige and that education Adamu Adamu for their inability to solve the University Lectures Problem to end the strike that disturbs all Nigerians.
He described Nigeria’s Founding to education as very poor considering the population and economy of the Country compared to other African Countries with less Population and economic strength.
The NLC chairman re-emphasizes the importance of youth that form the majority of University Students in peace building that fave way for Security and economic development of a nation like Nigeria that has allot of challenges as a result of insecurity.
He added that the intervention of Nigerian labour Congress now Nigerians have a hope that the lingering University Strike will be over very soon.
The Labour Union gave Nigerian Government six weeks ultimatum to end the strike or face nation wide industrial action.
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