*vow to shut down all sectors
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Labour unions across Oyo State on Tuesday, tasked the Federal Government to end the over five months old strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the country.
The unions stated this in a letter delivered to Governor Seyi Makinde at the Oyo State Secretariat after a peaceful protest round strategic areas of Ibadan.
According to the labour unions comprising of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), ASUU, NASUU, JUSUN, NUT among others, enough is enough of the prolonged ASUU strike.
The letter received by the Oyo State Deputy Governor, Barrister Adebayo Lawal on behalf of Governor Makinde said, “we are dismayed by the federal government’s paralysis and reluctance to take the necessary steps that could lead to the peaceful resolution of the issues in dispute and by extension, end the strike.
“We find it appropriate to appeal to you to use your good offices and good conscience to get the federal to bring to an end this strike action. The immediate concern would be the immediate payment of the withheld salaries of university staff, shelve IPPIS, honour the agreements government entered into or re – negotiate in good faith, rebuild confidences, establish a frame work for repositioning our universities for competitive service delivery and relevance in line with their mandate”.
The unions added, ” Your Excellency, this matter, we dare say, is of grave importance national, hence this appeal to you.While we await your response, We remain faithfully yours. On our part, we have taken various initiatives to end this strike including writing to the ministers of education and labour and employment and the presidency.
” We bring you our warm compliments. Your Excellency, we write to solicit your support and intervention in the matter of the dispute between the federal government and the unions in the tertiary education subsector. This dispute has manifested in a strike action for the past five months and has come at a huge cost to the students, the university staff, parents, the government, other stake holders and the entire country.”
According to the unions, ” the strike, as you already know, is over the non-observance by government of the agreements it voluntarily entered into with the unions. It has also been about imposition of IPPIS on the university unions to which they have taken objection with credible reasons”
” Your Excellency, we are dismayed by the federal government’s paralysis and reluctance to take the necessary steps that could lead to the peaceful resolution of the issues in dispute and by extension, end the strike.
” On our part, we have taken various initiatives to end this strike including writing to the Ministers of Education and Labour and Employment and the presidency.
Although this elicited some response from government, it was tokenistic and not sufficient. In response to the non-challance of government and cries of our unions in the sector to escalate our intervention, Congress resolved to hold rallies in the 36 states of the federation and FCT.”
The letter stressed, ” Your Excellency, the rally held today in the state is in compliance with the resolution of the Congress represents the first in the series of actions Congress intends to take to take to compel the government to do the needful.However, we find it appropriate to appeal to you to use your good offices and good conscience to get the federal to bring to an end this strike action.
“The immediate concern would be the immediate payment of the withheld salaries of university staff, shelve IPPIS, honour the agreements government entered into or re-negotiate in good faith, rebuild confidences, establish a frame work for repositioning our universities for competitive service delivery and relevance in line with their mandate.
“Your Excellency, this matter, we dare say, is of grave importance national, hence this appeal to you.While we await your response, We remain faithfully yours.”
The labour unions during the protest, threatened that all sectors of the nation economy are to be shut down if the federal government fails to meet demands of the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the country
In separate interviews with newsmen during the solidarity protest, Oyo State NLC Chairman, Comrade Kayode Martins disclosed that the protest is to call attention of the federal government to the situation of Nigerians education now in comatose.
“Children have been at home for months and nobody is doing anything to it, crime rate has also increased, government should come to the rescue of Nigerian youth, they are destroying our future, youth are the future of this country.”
The Oyo State TUC Chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Ogundiran in his comments, said NIgeria’s education sector is currently in danger and that government should find lasting solution to the lingering crisis to save the future of Nigerian students.
” It seems we don’t have government in this country, those at the helm of affairs are playing with the future of our children.They are not serious with the welfare of average Nigerians, no security, no infrastructure, the hope that gives our little ones opportunity to become better person which is education has been killed, they are trying to kill education in Nigeria.” he said.
Oyo TUC Chairman added, ” this protest is just a warning to say enough is enough, we are not happy with our leaders.” Earlier in the day, labour unions leaders and their members assembled at the Oyo state NLC Secretariat for the commencement of the peaceful protest.”
The solidarity protest kicked off at about 9.45am, the protesters left the NLC Secretariat towards Yidi to Agodi gate where labour leaders including Comrade Femi Aborisade, Prof Ademola Aremu and others addressed traders in the area on the need for the protest.
During the protest amidst tight security, the labour union leaders and their members moved from Agodi gate, the protesters moved towards Total Garden area to the Oyo State Secretariat to deliver letter of protest to Governor Seyi Makinde for onward transmission to President Muhammadu Buhari.
