ASUU Strike: NUPENG threatens to embark on solidarity protest

Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, had during the weekend, vowed to stop distributing petroleum products across the country if the ongoing strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, continues with no solution. It threatened to frustrate fuel distribution if the federal government remains adamant, without full implementation of the lecturers’ demands.

NUPENG however did not specify when the strike will begin, but stated that it was necessary it shows solidarity with the lecturers since the government had failed to find a permanent solution to the strike that commenced 3 months ago.

NUPENG President, Igwe Achese, while speaking at the Union’s National Administrative Council, NAC, meeting, in Lagos, expressed worry over the state of Nigerian universities.

He said government’s failure to respect agreements had resulted to strikes in different sectors of the Nigerian system since the inception of 2013.

He said, “We appeal to government to implement agreement reached with ASUU so that students can go back to school. If the crisis in the sector is not resolved, we will soon direct our members to embark on solidarity strike.”

Blaming the Ministry of Labour over the ongoing saga, he said, “The Ministry of Labour needs to be proactive if we must get these issues nipped in the bud. The ministry also needs to make sure that agreements reached or communiqué signed are implemented.

“The Ministry has a big role to play to avert strikes in the country. When unions begin to lose faith in the ministry that is when we have this kind of crisis. The Labour Minister should be firm in making sure that the right decisions are taken.

“As it is now, every activity in the Ministry of Labour is in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, which ought not to be so. The role of the SGF should be to intervene only when the need arises.”

The ongoing strike is beginning to take a new dimension as different bodies, including the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, have threatened to show support for the action of the University lecturers.

Source: Dailypost