By Abiodun Esan, Ilorin
Kwara state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has joined the National body of the union to stage a rally to press home the demand of the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) on University revitalisation.
The union members which included NLC, ASUU, NASU, SANU and other allied unions carried placard with various inscription such as; “There is only one way forward, honour our agreement, National protest to get our children back to school” amongst others.
The demonstrators went round areas like Post Office , Challenge, A-Division Round About and Government House on Ahmadu Bello way Ilorin to submit their letter to the state government.
Speaking with Journalists at the NLC Secretariat in Ilorin, the Kwara state Chairman of the union, Comrade Aliyu Isa-Ore said the rally was organised in solidarity with the ASUU members to press home their demand on the need for the federal government to honour their agreement.
He said the federal government had signed an agreement with ASUU some years back on University revitalisation and other sundry issues.
Isa-Ore explained that if the federal government refused to heed to their demand after the rally ,the union will go on three day warning strike.
In their separate remarks, the ASUU chairman, University of Ilorin branch, Prof Moyosore Ajao and the Chairman of the National Association of Academic Technologists Union, Comrade Awolola Femi commended the NLC for supporting their cause.
Ajao, ASUU chairman, noted that university workers demands werelegitimate.
According to him, ASUU demands were long overdue and legitimate to deserve government’s attention.
“Let the government tell us which of our demands that are not legitimate. We have the right to ask for what we deserve.
“Is it our salary that was increased last 13 years ago, or our demand for government to make infrastructure available?
“We are not robots. Treat us like humans and safe our children from idleness at home,” he said.
He also explained that the struggle belonged to the entire nation and not ASUU alone.
The chairperson called on the federal government to address the lingering strike to safe the students from becoming a public nuisance.
Ajao also called for the enacting of law to ban Nigerians schooling abroad in order to allow growth in Nigeria educational system.
The Chairperson National Association of Academic Technologist, Unilorin branch, Comrade Femi Awolola said; “we are also Affiliate member of NLC they happen to become our parents body.
“We are in full support because the government has shown so much insensitivity to the happenings in the University system.
“This struggle is not just for us who are staff of that University, it is for our students.
“If you look at the decay status at the University today, you will be surprised that non of this big people allow their children to come to this Universities.
“If you look at our classrooms they are dilapidated, if you look at our laboratories, there is no equipment, no chemical to bring out good research, look at our hostels, they are down.
“Every infrastructure in the Universities is down, how can we continue like this?
“Brain drain is happening in all the Universities, all of our good hands are getting out of this country.
“We are in full support of this because we are fighting for the future of our children, we are fighting for the future of the youth of this country.
“We cannot allow things to go down like this, the only thing we can do is to come out in support of our parent body,” he added.
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