Says planned action capable of causing anarchy
No going back, says NLC
NANS begins mobilisation
The Federal Government has cautioned the Nigeria Labour Congress to shelve its proposed protest in solidarity with the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who gave the warning, told state house correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President MuhammaduBuhari on Wednesday, stressed that the NLC was in no dispute with the Federal Government and as such considers its planned street protest illegal.
Mohammed accused the congress of being motivated by partisan interests, saying it is supposed to be “completely insulated from politics.”
He warned that the NLC’s planned action was based on self-interest and a planned action capable of causing anarchy.
He said, “The NLC is not a political party. The NLC can go on strike or protest if the rights of NLC members are involved. What the NLC is planning in the next few days is about interest. There’s no dispute whatsoever between NLC as a body with the Federal Government.
“Well yes, there’s a dispute between some members of the NLC, ASUU and the Federal Government which is being looked into. And NLC itself is a party to the committee that is looking into the solution.
“So calling out people on street protest, you begin to wonder, what is the motive of NLC in this matter? But you see here, we do not interrogate what NLC is doing. NLC by its own laws cannot even give out pamphlets. And NLC is supposed to be completely insulated from politics.”
However, the NLC has expressed its resolve to hold the two-day national protest to demand the immediate reopening of the country’s public-owned tertiary institutions which had been shut down for five months.
The NLC accused the Federal Government of not negotiating in good faith to resolve the crisis in Nigeria’s public Universities.
Also, the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students has begun mobilisation of students ahead of the planned solidarity protest billed for July 26 and 27, 2022.
To this end, the students’ body which declared support for the two-day solidarity action with ASUU has asked all students across the country to prepare to join.
NANS made this known in a statement issued by its president, Sunday Asefon, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Asefon commended the leadership of the NLC for their steadfastness and commitment to join forces with well-meaning Nigerians to advocate for the end of the protracted ASUU strike.
“While NANS has organised various protests in the past with no substantial results, also our advocacy and consultation has not yielded any desirable result. We have activated a political solution and we are very hopeful that an end is in the purview,” he said.
On July 17, 2022, the NLC announced that it would kick off a nationwide protest on July 26 and 27 to pressure the
Federal Government to resolve the five-month-long strike by the ASUU and three other sister unions.
ASUU embarked on a one-month warning strike on February 14.
Other associations such as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions and National Association of Academic Technologists later followed suit, shutting down their activities in universities nationwide.
