From Geoffrey Anyanwu and Jude Chinedu, Enugu
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday lamented that the continued stay at home of the Nigerian students following the unresolved differences between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), have turned some of the students into Kidnapping and other violent crimes.
Addressing Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi when the NLC and its affiliate unions took their solidarity protest in support of ASUU to the Lion Building Government House Enugu, the State NLC Chairman, Virginus Nwobodo, said that the situation was so bad that some of the students kidnap themselves and demand ransom from their parents.
He said, “To the dismay of the Nigerian masses, our children have been out of school now for the past five months and still counting, every Nigerian is aware of the insecurity challenges we are having at the moment. Everywhere is one kidnap case or the other, killing is the order of the day, criminality and so on.
“So keeping our children out of school is so dangerous, some of these children have turned to kidnappers. Some of them have even kidnapped themselves and called their parents to bring money. Some have indulged in all kinds of criminality, Yahoo and so on. You know this Your Excellency because you have the security report before you.”
Nwobodo who led the workers on long protest march from the Labour House, New Market area through the State Secretariat, Okpara Avenue, Tunnel, Old Artisan, Otigba Junction, Bisala Road to Government House, stressed that ASUU members have been very considerate and rational in keeping with the state of patriotism; they negotiated with the federal government.
He further said, “I am speaking to you ASUU members are hungry. For every great nation, education is taken seriously. We must begin to take education seriously. Everyday we hear that the government borrowed billions and what are they using these monies for? Education should be given priority in Nigeria. Education should be given utmost attention.”
Also speaking, the chairman ASUU ESUT, Prof. Chinedu Aguba said, “When education is strangulated, civilization is eclipsed. When civilization is eclipsed there is fire on the mountain. There will be rats eating rats. There is no alternative to education. Every country in the world is always desirous to channel their education system for better except Nigeria. Unfortunately, it is an oxymoron and a big irony that we want to progress but we are spitting on education.
Others who spoke included the ASUU chairman UNN, Christian Okpaka and TUC chairman Ben Asogwa.
Responding, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Ortuanya commended Labour for the peaceful way it conducted the protest, noting that it was fairly unusual for a protest of that nature to be very seamless and very peaceful without rancor.
He said that Enugu state government shares in the concerns of the NLC and ASUU and had always known that education “is the foundation of the society,” promising to deliver their message to the Governor and that President Buhari would receive their message very effectively and timeously.
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