NLC Cross River Chapter Joins Nationwide Protest, Urge FG To Meet ASUU Demand

By Jonathan Ugbal

Listen To The Report

The Nigerian Labor Congress, NLC in Cross River State has joined its members across the country to protest the unwillingness of the Federal Government to end the ongoing strike of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU; Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU; Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU have all been on strike.

And, the representative of the National President of NLC, Comrade John Ushie informed representatives of Governor Ben Ayade at the Governor’s office that the NLC decided to step into the streets after ASUU reached out to inform them of the way the Federal Government was acting.

The protest began at the Freedom Park at Mary Slessor avenue through 11 – 11 roundabout to the House of Assembly complex, where the Speaker, Hon. Eteng Jones, received them and promised to deliver their message to the conference of Speakers.

Eteng said he can’t sit on the fence any longer. “I cannot stand here because I am Mr. Speaker today and say what is not right. Too many Committees but no action. When I was in Malabo (University of Calabar), as a Malabite, we say action. We need action, and that action is now.”

Urging the NLC to continue, he added that: “I will tell all my workers, I don’t want to see them here, I don’t want to see them in the office, they should join you until we get to the end of this matter. We cannot be sitting on the fence, when our children, our people, our brothers, our sisters are suffering.”

The protesting unions also moved to the Governor’s office, where the Permanent Secretary, Special Services, Sir Alfred Mboto received their letter and pledged to pass it on to the Governor.

The protest then moved to the Federal Secretariat complex and ended at the Millennium Park, where the leadership of the campus unions commended other affiliate unions of the NLC for turning out en masse. The NLC Chairman, Comrade Ben Ukpepi said the protest will continue in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday.

Watch: