Ongoing protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress in solidarity with the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities has paralyzed activities in parts of Lagos, Oyo and Ekiti states as members of the organised labour trooped out with those in the informal sector to rise against what they described as insensitivity on the part of the Federal Government to the plights of university students and the lecturers.
Recall that the public university students have been out of school for more than five months since the February 14 commencement date of the strike by ASUU.
Today (Tuesday), the aggrieved Nigerians hit the streets in protest against the plights of the affected students and the decay in the education sector.
There was heavy presence of security operatives in Lagos and other states where the protest held.
In Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, thousands of people thronged the streets during the protest led by the labour union. The protest trail moved into the Oyo State Secretariat, Agodi, in a peaceful manner with display of placards bearing different inscriptions condemning government’s insensitivity.
In Lagos, Labour union members and civil society groups converged on under the Ikeja bridge leading to slow vehicular movements.
Policemen and sister security agents were on ground at the venue to avert hijack of the protest by thugs.
The public university lecturers hinged the ongoing strike on FG’s failure to release the revitalisation funds for universities; renegotiate the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement; release the earned allowances for university lecturers; and deployment the University Transparency and Accountability Solution platform for the payment of salaries and allowances of university lecturers.
