BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Undergraduates of affected universities in the ongoing strike embarked upon by their lecturers have identified with the Nigeria Labour Congress in its plan to carry out a nationwide solidarity protest to support the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities and other affected unions.
They expressed hope that the protest would force the Federal Government to accede to the requests of ASUU and ensure that they were returned to their various classes to continue their academic pursuits.
In a statement issued by the Great Ife Students’ Union, the students said they would join the NLC demonstration across the country.
The statement signed by Olayiwola Folahan Festus, President, Odewale Samuel Damilare, Secretary General and Ogunperi Taofeek Olalekan, Public Relations Officer of the Obafemi Awolowo University students’ union, said the two-day solidarity protest was a major opportunity for them to end the six-month old strike.
“With ASUU strike in its sixth month despite the flurry of protests embarked on by us students so far, it has become imperative that we students join hands with Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on its planned nationwide two-day solidarity protest to support ASUU and other unions in their quest for quality education. This development is reassuring and deserving of our full participation, as it remains one of the major chances for us to end the ongoing strike and resume our classes.
“Great Ife students are encouraged to participate in the protest in the respective places that they are in the country. The protest is converging at every State Secretariat of the NLC and the Labour House, Abuja. The protest will be held on Tuesday, 26 July 2022, and Wednesday, 27 July 2022.
“There is no doubt that, with mass participation, this protest is going to greatly help us in getting the government to do the needful after having failed to even honour the recommendations of the Nimi-Briggs Committee which it set up itself. Let us put in our best and join hands with the NLC, for the betterment of the education sector and for us all to return to classes as soon as possible,” it read.
