The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, says failure of the Federal Government to resolve the dispute between its and striking lecturers in public universities could be a catalyst for an upheaval and disruptive public demonstration similar to the #EndSARS protest of October 2020.
To avoid such occurrence, NLC, has given the government the ultimatum to resolve the issues within the two-week time-frame President Muhammadu Buhari gave Education Minister, Malam Adamu Adamu, to resolve the matter.
The Congress gave the warning through the chairperson of Lagos State chapter of the union, Mrs Funmi Agnes Sessy, during the solidarity rally organised in support of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU and other unions in the university system yesterday.
“As parents and critical stakeholders in the sector, we are tired of seeing our children and students idling away at home for over five months now. Education is a vital sector that must not be toyed with and handled with levity. It is unfortunate that our leaders who benefited from free, quality education in their days are now the ones killing the sector.
“The ladder they used in climbing to the top, they have removed and thrown away. President Buhari used to be part of protests like this when he was an opposition leader; we are disappointed that a lot of things they promised us are not done. The naira is on a free fall, the standard of living is on the decline and we won’t just sit idly by and allow the future of our children and wards destroyed.
“We are calling on the government to quickly resolve the ongoing strike in our tertiary institutions. Colleges of education, polytechnics and universities have been shut for months; in which sane clime do they allow that to happen? After this protest, if nothing is done within the time-frame given the minister by the President, then the nation is going to witness a people’s uprising bigger than what we all saw during #EndSARS protest. Enough of our children being turned into criminal elements,” she said
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