NLC slams politicians’ obsession with power, despite lingering ASUU strike

Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have accused politicians of being obsessed with power and gross injustice to the society despite the continued industrial actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The NLC leadership currently engaged in their Central Working Committee meeting ahead of May Day commemoration on May 1, decried the lack of concern exhibited by the government for the future of Nigerian students.

The union noted that despite the ongoing indefinite strike by university lecturers across the country, political leaders were busy with preparations for the forthcoming elections.

President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, at a press conference on Wednesday, fumed that government pays lip service to issues concerning education to the detriment of the Nigerian public.

“We are facing a period of great injustice on the downtrodden of the society, children of the poor are at home but the children of the rich are going to school, we have written several communications to the government but no response till date, rather they are busy discussing politics”.

“ASUU and the Federal Government have locked horns in a supremacy battle over the fate of Nigerian universities, while the institutions have remained shut for more than two months.

“While the issues in contention revolve around revitalisation funds for Nigerian universities and shoddy implementation of the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS), there are also indications that the government may have started implementing the ‘no work no pay’ policy against the university workers.

Read also: NLC suggests establishment of panel to address ASUU strike

“As you all know, the children of the poor are at home while those of the rich are going to school. To date, we have communicated through recommendations to the government but no response.

“This is most disheartening because people in our generation benefited from free education from primary to tertiary level.

“This is not acceptable, instead of the politicians discussing these issues as a national emergency they are occupied with the 2023 elections”, Ayuba reiterated.

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