. ASUU rejects plan to hike tuition fees in public universities
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, has defended the ongoing solidarity protest by workers’ unions nationwide, saying there was nothing illegal about it.
He said: “When people say it’s illegal, I think people should remember that no condition is permanent. We have had some of our current politicians join the NLC to press for similar actions in the past.
“Even the court has pronounced that you don’t require any permission. It is legal and within your fundamental human rights to protest issues.
“These are democratic norms everywhere in the world. Even as an individual, you have the right to air your grievances.
“It is within the provision of our law. It is backed by the United Nations Charter for Human and People’s Rights, African Charter for Human and People’s Rights, and it is there in our constitution — sections 39 and 40.”
Wabba, in an interview with Channels TV ‘Sunrise Daily’, also reiterated his earlier warning that the workers’ union will embark on a three-day nationwide strike if the Federal Government fails to meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
He said: “The two-day warning strike is to call for attention for the issues to be resolved promptly. The next level is a three-day national warning strike if nothing has happened after the protest, to show our grievances.
“We are not on a solidarity action, we are affected directly.”
Wabba, at the sidelines of the 18th NLC Rain School, 2022, tagged: “Labour, Politics for National Development and Social Justice in Nigeria,” had argued that what is happening is not a solidarity protest but a protest of NLC against the government’s actions that led to the universities being shut down since February.
He said: “We have taken three levels of decision. First is the protest which is going to be national tomorrow. After the protest, a three-day national warning strike will start, and if they fail to resolve the issues and bring back our kids to school, we go on indefinite strike.
“That is the decision of our National executive council. And what will be helpful for them is to check the timeline we have given for them to resolve the issues. We are optimistic that they will be willing this time because we are also willing to get our children back to school.”
After the protest, a three-day national warning strike will start, and if they fail to resolve the issues and bring back our kids to school, we go on indefinite strike.
No to tuition hike
The two-day protest, which ends today, comes as ASUU rejected the proposed plan by the Federal Government to hike tuition fee in Nigerian public universities.
Chairman, University of Jos Chapter of the union, Dr Lazarus Maigoro, who disclosed this yesterday in Jos, during the nationwide peaceful protest organised by the NLC, argued that the move will deny children of the masses access to university education.
He said: “Government is planning to increase the tuition fee in public universities to N750,000 and this is not acceptable to us in ASUU.
“We will not accept it today, tomorrow or forever. If that happens the children of the poor and common people cannot go to the university.
“So, this strike is not about us, but about the future of education in Nigeria, and this is why we are insisting that the government must fund education because it is its responsibility to do so.”
Government is planning to increase the tuition fee in public universities to N750,000 and this is not acceptable to us in ASUU. We will not accept it today, tomorrow or forever. If that happens the children of the poor and common people cannot go to the university.
Two week ultimatum
Meanwhile the NLC Lagos State Chapter, yesterday, issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to resolve issues with ASUU within two weeks or risk another round of protest worse than the #ENDSARS.
The Lagos NLC Chairperson, Mrs. Agnes Sessy, issued the ultimatum during the Lagos protest, said: ‘If the Federal Government does not resolve the strike within two weeks, there would be a nationwide mass protest. In fact, the ENDSARS protest would be a child’s play.”
The protesters carried placards with several inscriptions such as “Honour and implement your agreement with ASUU” among others.
The NLC had last week directed workers in state capitals and Abuja to join the protest.
A human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana, who joined the protest in Lagos, expressed full support for the NLC solidarity protest in favour of striking Nigeria’s public university teachers, who have been on industrial action for almost six months, describing it as commendable.
Falana, who joined the protest from the Allen Roundabout to the Governor’s House at Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, where everyone dispersed around 1.00 pm after the delivery of the NLC letter to the President to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s representative, Mrs Ajibola Ponle, the Commissioner for Establishment and Training for onward delivery.
Falana accused the Federal Government of insensitivity to the plights of most Nigerians, adding that nothing seems to work again in the country.
