- Calls on NLC, TUC to Rise in Defense of Academic Workers
By Peace O. Aboje
AN education advocacy group, the Save-Public-Education-Campaign, has called on the federal government to refrain from anti-labour acts and abuse of power but rather dedicate itself to actions capable of bringing peace, stability and development into the nation’s educational institutions in the interest of students whose future is now at stake.
In a press statement on Monday, the group also called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) to do all in their capacity to end what it described as violence and mistreatment being meted out to lectures and workers in the nation’s higher institutions.
The statement, signed by Comrade Vivien Bello and Comrade Dimeji Macaulay, convener and co-convener respectively of Save-Public-Education-Campaign, said the half salary payment is an act of intimidation and indignity to members of ASUU.
The group charged the ministers of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, and his Education counterpart, Adamu Adamu, not to throw the nation’s university into another avoidable circle of crisis as punitive and vindictive action will only worsen the crisis.
Describing the demands of ASUU as legitimate as it bothers on both the welfare of its members, and the overall good and development of the nation’s universities, the statement said the government’s action “is in negation of the spirit of the several discussions, pleas, negotiations and dialogues that eventually saw to the suspension of the 8-months old industrial action.”
It said the resort to the payment of half-salary is very unfortunate as it will be counter-productive as it is capable of shattering the precarious truce negotiated before the 8-month-old strike was suspended recently.
“NLC and TUC should draw on every available capacity within its ambit to protect the nation’s university workers from these acts of intimidation and indignity by government as Nigerian lecturers and indeed public education are clearly becoming endangered particularly under this administration,” the statement reads in part.
However, National Record gathered that the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU is set to meet Monday 7th November 2022 at its Festus Iyayi National Secretariat at the University of Abuja to deliberate and decided on the line of action to take over the half salary payment.
