By Godspower Eguasa
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, assured members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) that governors of the 36 States will meet to engage the relevant authorities on how to urgently bring to an end, the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Obaseki gave the assurance through his Chief of Staff, Hon. Osaigbovo Iyoha, while receiving members of the NLC and affiliate unions at Government House, Benin City, when the labour leaders took their nationwide solidarity protest there.
Addressing the protesters, the Governor lamented that: “It’s a shame that the Federal Government, even though at the State level we have tried to talk to them for intervention, till today, five months after, our children are still at home.”
He expressed worry over the number of years and months that Nigerian students have lost to strikes in their academic pursuit.
According to Obaseki, “it has become evident that the lingering strike action is now a priority to resolve if the country must move forward.
“It is shameful that after all entreaties it was only last week that the Federal Government found it necessary to ask the Minister of Labour to stay away from the talk with ASUU, as it has become very clear that the Minister of Labour was not taking the demands by the lecturers seriously.
“I want to assure you that with this move that NLC and all of you have made today, I know the letter you presented to me today was written by the NLC President to all the Governors of the 36 State and I assure that something will be done urgently.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the Edo State Chapter of the NLC, Chief Odion Olaye (JP), who led the protest, explained that the 2-day nationwide demonstration which was called by the NLC is in solidarity with ASUU and other affiliate unions who have been on strike for five months, over demands on the Federal Government to prioritize education in the country.
Olaye said that “Several efforts were invested by the NLC and its affiliate bodies to ensure the lingering strike action is resolved, much of which included several engagements with the relevant Federal Ministries Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government, but they all ended in futility, hence the he protest.”
“We are here in solidarity with the affiliate unions who are in the universities that have been on strike for the past five months.
“Upon that strike, our president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, called an emergency NEC meeting which we held in Abuja on 30th June where the comrades took a resolution after they had put so much efforts to address this issue by writing to the Ministers involved which are the Ministers for Education, Labour and Employment and including the presidency, all to no avail.
“Hence, we decided to go on this solidarity protest with the affiliate unions of Nigerian Labour Congress that are operating in the universities with a view to put a lasting solution to the strike.”
