By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
The Akwa Ibom State branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), along with other affiliate unions within and outside the tertiary institutions system, Tuesday staged a peaceful protest over the lingering strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The angry labour unions’ members who defied heavy Police presence at government house gate, Uyo, marched inside to press home their demands for federal government to resolve the lingering strike for the sake of students and national development.
Led by the National President of NLC, Ayuba Waba, who was represented by the Zonal Officer, Comrade Uche Nweke and the State Chairman, Comrade Sunny James, the group delivered a message to the governor for onward transmission to the Federal Government to quickly resolve the strike to prevent the total shutdown of the economy in mass action.
Ayuba, said the strike became necessary to draw the FG’s attention to over five months of shutting academic activities in the University system.
He noted, “if today we are talking about ASUU, NASU, NATE and other strikes and we know the monies that was thrown around by politicians, it amount to shame on the part of government to overlook the demands by the striking lecturers. I have been privileged to be in the House before and I know what I am talking about.
“Monies realized from the sale of forms by the two major political parties and others $200 to $300 Dollars paid to delegates are enough to settle the crises in the University system”.
The State NLC Chairman, Sunny James, urged the State Government to be in the vanguard of impressing on the Federal Government to end the lingering strike once and for all, in the interest of students and national development
Responding, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Emmanuel Ekeuwem and the Head of Service (HoS), Elder Effiong Essien, promised to deliver their demands to the Governor, whom they said, was away from the State a function.
Ekeuwem, underscored the importance of education as a pivot of development, noting that, “education system needed seamless operations to churn out quality graduates to drive system.
He appealed for a peaceful demonstration in order not to jeopardize their good intentions of defending the interest and well being of the students.
New Nigerian Newspapers in Uyo, observed that the protesters matched over two kilometres from the Labour House at Atan Offot, Uyo across major roads within the city capital to Government House where they presented their on resolve the lingering strike to Governor Emmanuel to the Federal Government.
