As part of the nationwide solidarity protest organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to mount pressure on the Federal Government to accede to the demands of university lecturers, various interest groups, on Tuesday, joined the peaceful demonstration in Kano State.
The Kano NLC Chairman, Com. Minjibir, said they were delivering the message of resolution of the NLC national body to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to intimate him on the need to intervene and resolve the lingering strike in universities across the country.
Minjibir said they called on the Federal Government to do everything possible to resolve the lingering industrial action in the universities.
He stated that the withheld salaries of university lecturers as a result of invoking the no-work no-pay policy must be released.
“We demand immediate payment of withheld salary of the striking university staff. We also call on the Federal Government to stop use of IPPIS platform for paying the staff.
“This rally is in support of the striking university workers because we wrote letter to the minister of education but it yielded no reasonable response,” he said.
According to Minjibir, the rally is taking place simultaneously across 36 states of the federation because they believe no country will develop without good education.
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He added: “It is happening in 36 states to pressure the FG to accede to the yearning of Nigeria students and parents and lovers of education to bring an end to the strike.”
The NLC chairman, who accused the Federal Government of reneging on agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), said the peaceful protest would be followed by an indefinite strike across the country if the government remained adamant to the demands of the striking university lecturers.
Minjibir, who commended the Kano State Government for paying its university workers salary, urged Governor Ganduje to use his influence to help in resolving the crisis.
On his part, Ganduje said the Nigeria Governors’ Forum collectively and without political difference was deeply disturbed by the ongoing industrial action.
The governor, however, commended the NLC and other protesters for the peaceful demonstration.
He stated that although the strike predated the current administration, the government would do everything to resolve the impasses.
“I am particularly disturbed with no-work no-pay policy because lecturers would have to cover curriculum whenever they resume work.
“It is really worried and disturbed because the striking staff have family to feed,” Ganduje added.
The protest which started at Mundubawa Roundabout and ended at the Kano State Government House in Kano drew protesters from the NLC, TUC, university-based unions, students’ associations, Civil Society Organisations, among others.
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