Nonsochukwu Uwa, Owerri
Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Tuesday blocked the Imo Government House to protest the Federal Government’s inability to meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of the Universities, ASUU, and other university-based unions which have been on strike for six months.
The protesters marched through the streets of Owerri and blocked the entrance to the Government House to register their grievances.
The different leaders who led the protest took time to give their version of why they were not happy over the strike.
Imo State Chairman of NLC, Philips Nwansi, said, “We have done our part, the remaining we will leave it for God. We have achieved our aim and we have submitted our document to the governor of Imo State. Our protest is clear, we want the Federal Government to settle ASUU and their co-workers. Pay University workers their salaries and benefits.
“The 2009 agreement should be signed so that workers can go back to school. Our students have been at home for months and our lecturers are at home dying of hunger. We will have patience and perseverance so that we will get what we are asking for,” he said.
Adding his voice, the Chairman of ASUU, FUTO chapter, Chinedu Ihejirika, said: “We are on strike because the Government has refused to sign our renegotiated document. The Government has abandoned the educational system. The Government has underfunded the educational system. So that our teachers will have their welfare and our children will learn under a good education system.”
Speaking also, the Chairman of ASUU, Imo State University, IMSU, chapter, Comrade Odinakachukwu Ejiogu, said: “We come under the umbrella of NLC. The 2009 agreement ought to be renegotiated since 2012 but up till now, nothing has happened. We made a series of attempts and even though a draft was submitted and the Federal Government has not signed it. The Federal Government does not need two weeks to end this strike it can be done in a day.”
