| The Daily Crucible | Monday, July 25, 2022
A group, All Workers Convergence (AWC), has declared support for the two - day nationwide protest slated for tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday by the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) in solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
ASUU has been on strike in the last five months following accusation that the federal government had reneged on previous agreements it knowingly entered with the body, including the agreement to increase funding of public universities.
The National Coordinator of AWC, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, in a release made available to The Daily Crucible, said the group received the call for two days national protest by NLC as a just one and urged all workers nationwide to join the struggle and make it a success.
Emelieze who is a former Chairman, Trade Union Congress(TUC) Oyo State chapter, flayed the Minister of information, Mr Lai Muhammed, for declaring the protest illegal.
Decrying the Minister's attempt to turn himself into the judiciary arm, the AWC National Coordinator dismissed Lai Mohammed's position as illegitimate and antisocial.
The unionist also called on Nigerian students, parents and all people of good will to join the NLC protest to compel Muhammadu Buhari - led government to address the demands of the striking university lecturers.
He said, "We the Nigerian workers welcome the call for the two days national protest by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in solidarity with the striking university workers. We call on all workers nationwide to join the protest and make it a success.
"We are however dismayed by the position of the Minister of information, Mr Lai Muhammed, who had turned himself to the judiciary and has unanimously declared the protest as illegal. The position of Mr Lai Muhammed is illegitimate and antisocial. He is beimg hunted by the failure of his government to meet up with the needs of Nigerians. We however call on the NLC to go ahead with the mobilization and ignore the ignoble position of Mr Lai Muhammed, who has over the years proven that he is never on the side of the people.
"Protest everywhere is legal, ours in Nigeria will not be different. We the Nigerian workers call on government officials to stop insulting the sensitivity of Nigerians. There is no going back on this two days protest that is long over due.
"All Nigerians students, parents and all people of good will are equally called upon to join the protest to compell the the government to meet up with the demands of striking university workers. We also call on the Trade Union Congress of Nigerian (TUC) to join the protest."
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