ASUU: NLC Speaks On Cancelling Nationwide Strike, Rejects Buhari’s Ultimatum

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has insisted that it would be carrying on with its planned nationwide strike to force the Federal Government to reach an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to end the ongoing strike.

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

This came a day after President Muhammadu Buhari directed the Minister of Education and the Minister of Labour to resolve the lingering dispute within two weeks.

In an interview with The PUNCH, the Head, Information and Public Affairs, NLC, Benson Upah, in an interview with The PUNCH, said the government could resolve the lingering strike within three days if it were serious about the crisis.

He also insisted that the labour Union 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?

“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.’’

Responding to the allegation that the protest was illegal, Upah pointed out 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.