By Bimbola Oyesola, Gabriel Dike, Lukman Olabiyi
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday made good its threat to shut down the country as the first of the two-day protest crippled the various states over the ongoing five months strike by university workers.
The protest, which commenced as early 6.30a.m with the gatherings of workers under the Ikeja Bridge, attracted over 30 affiliates of the NLC. The policemen armed to the teeth were seen at strategic places but did not disrupt the protest.
Also, academic and non-teaching staff from the University of Lagos, Lagos State University, Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka and the Secretary, Joint Action Front (JAF), Mr. Abiodun Aremu joined the protest.
At Allen Junction, the protesters, who were joined by the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human right activist, Mr. Femi Falana, disrupted traffic flow for over 40 minutes.
Addressing the workers in Lagos during the solidarity protest with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions in tertiary institutions on the ongoing strike, the NLC State chairman, Funmi Sessi and the Human rights lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, unanimously lent their voices to the need for the Federal Government to meet the demands of the universities workers within two weeks and insisted that if nothing is done there would be the mother of all strike.
Sessi noted that the present administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari has turned the youths into criminals.
According to her, this is just a warning protest. If the government failed to conclude all the negotiations and agreements within two weeks, then ENDSARS protest would be child’s play.
“Governments will witness the annoyance and frustration of Nigerians because they have put people into depression and a condition where they committed suicide.
“We can no longer endure this hardship again. When Buhari took over seven years ago, naira to the dollar was equivalent to N168.00, but today dollar is N680.00. When they took over, a bag of rice was N7,000 but today is N38,000.00.
“APC likewise told us that they want to rewrite the history of Nigeria, but it’s getting worse day by day. Our children unborn will hear the history when Buhari was the president of this country.” Sessi said.
Also speaking, the human rights lawyer, Femi Falana lamented that the living standard of Nigerians is getting worse by the day.
He said, “They have also used this regime to cause hardship for the people. As we gathered here today, terrorism, hardship, and recession have taken over the country and President Buhari is junketing all over the world. He has told Nigerians that he’s tired and we are saying in one voice that BUHARI MUST GO.
“We are fully in support of lecturers in tertiary institutions and other workers. As NLC has said if government fails to meet the demand of the striking lecturers, ENDSARS protest would be a child’s play compared to what will happen in the next two weeks because Nigerians are tired and frustrated”, Falana stressed.
He continued, “Don’t let them deceive you that there is no money, they initially budgeted for over N400billion and later went to the National Assembly to increase it to N6.5 trillion yet they don’t have money to pay the lectures, but they have money to pay smugglers.”
Falana said Nigerians with the support of labour should ensure that dollar should no longer control the nation’s economy, adding that henceforth nobody should pay in dollar, as naira is the country’s currency and legal tender.
He noted that labour with the protest has proved that it could provide leadership and hence must be ready to snatch power from the selfish political class.
Zonal Coordinator, ASUU-Lagos Zone, Dr. Adelaja Odukoya, described the protest as a historical day and that it has sent strong signal to the Federal Government to act fast on the demands of the unions.
Odukoya said any nation that wants to develop cannot toy with education and described the nation’s universities as glorified secondary school, adding, “currently, the universities lack modern facilities.”
The Secretary of JAF, Mr. Abiodun Aremu, said the government in the last seven years failed to fund the education sector, resulting in rot in the universities.
Said he: “Education must be funded from primary to university level. When we went to school, education was free. Nigeria is not broke, we have the resources to meet the demands of the unions.”
However the workers who got to Alausa secretariat around noon were denied entrance into the Governor’s House which comprises of the State House of Assembly and the Governor’s office by the Nigerian Police and other security agents drafted to provide security.
The Police on ground had the gate of the secretariat locked while they formed rings to prevent the workers from entry.
The leader of the team, Funmi Sessi charged the Police to open the gate as it was mandatory for the workers to deliver a letter from the NLC to the governor.
After much persuasion and threat, the gate was opened as Sessi told the Police that the battle was also for them, querying how many of them can send their children abroad with their poor wages as the political class are doing now.
The NLC in the letter delivered to the governor said the protest held in the state was in compliance with the members’ directive and it represents the first in the series of actions congress would take to compel the federal government to do the needful.
The NLC appealed to Sanwo-Olu and other state governors to use their good offices to bring to an end the five-month old strike.
Among other demands is the immediate payment of the withheld salary, shelve use of IPPIS to pay salary, honour the agreements government made in good faith, rebuild confidences, establish a good framework in the universities for competitive service delivery and for them to deliver on their mandate.
Though the State was on public holiday declared to enable the residents collect their PVC, the State Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pensions,
Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle, who collected the letter on behalf of the Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu reported to have been out on assignment commended the NLC for their peaceful conduct during the protest.
Ponnle promised to deliver the message to the governor when he returns.
“I commend NLC for this peaceful protest, your message is clear, and am assuring that it will be deliver to Mr. Governor. Mr. Governor is currently on official assignment outside the state, the moment he returns, your letter will be delivered to him and he will as well deliver your message to the president”, she said.