Kwara NLC, ASUU, SANU, others join ‘get our children back to class protest’

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Kwara

Kwara State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday joined the nationwide rally to press home the demand of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on university revatalisation.

The protesters, including ASUU, NASU, SANU and other allied unions, carried placard with various inscriptions and marched through areas such as Post Office, Challenge, A-Division Roundabout and Government House on Ahmadu Bello Way, to submit their letter to the state government.

Speaking with journalists at the NLC Secretariat in Ilorin, Kwara State Chairman, Aliyu Isa-Ore said the rally was organised in solidarity with ASUU members to press home their demand on the need for the Federal Government to honour their agreement.

He said the Federal Government ssigned an agreement with ASUU some year back on university revatalisation and other sundry issues.

Isa-Ore warned that if the Federal Government refuses to heed to the demand of ASUU after the rally, the union will go on three days warning strike.

In their separate remarks, Chairman of ASUU, University of Ilorin , Prof. Moyosore Ajao and his National Association of Academic Technologists Union counterpart, Awolola Femi, commended NLC for supporting their course.

Prof. Ajao noted that the university workers’ demands were legitimate and deserve government attention.

“Let the government tell us which of our demands are not legitimate. We have right to ask for what we deserve. Is it our salary that has not increased for more than 13 years or our demand for government to make infrastructure available?

“We are not robots. Treat us like humans and safe our children from idleness at home,” he said.

He also explained that the struggle belongs to the entire nation and not ASUU alone, even as he called on the Federal Government to address the lingering strike to safe students from becoming public nuisances.