Kogi State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) has held a protest over the prolonged strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of University, (ASUU) and demanded government takes action to end the impasse.
The protest held on Tuesday in Lokoja, the Kogi State Capital.
The union members who held a solidarity walk from Stella Obasanjo Library to the Kogi State Government House, presented their demands to Governor Bello for the strike action to be called off by the striking lecturers.
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Carrying placard with many inscriptions, many of the signs read, “Federal Government, Conclude Renegotiation with JAC, SSANU, NASU; Enough is Enough; Get Our Children Back to School,; Respect University Autonomy,; Jettison IPPIS, End ASUU Strike Now; among others.
Vice Chairman of the State NLC, Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo who stood in for the Chairman, Comrade Onuh Edoka lamented on the negative effects of the strike on the country.
The union recalled that the aggrieved lecturers in the university decided to down – tool on February 14th 2022 over the decision of the 2009 agreement, among others.
He maintained that relevant stakeholders have waded into the matter but has not yielded any positive result.
According to him, the continuous stay at home by student in the university poses a great threat to the security and unity of Nigeria as a nation.
While calling on the Kogi State Government to intervene in the dispute between the Asuu and the federal government, the NLC Chairamn said it was disheartening that the Buhari led Federal Government could withheld the salaries of the striking lecturers for over five months.
He also described the decision of the present administration to keep mute over the demands of the striking Lecturers as wicked and insensitive.
Responding, Governor Yahaya Bello who was represented by his deputy, Chief Edward Onoja, said the faceoff between ASUU and the federal government is long overdue, adding that for any nation to succeed, priority must be given to education.
Governor Bello assured the labour leaders that his administration will put pressure on the federal government to put a lasting solution to strike action in Nigeria.