ASUU members at the Federal University in Lafia, Nasarawa state, held a peaceful protest on campus on Friday in response to the conflict between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government of Nigeria, calling for the immediate dismissal of Minister of Labor and Employment Chris Ngige.
The ASUU FuLafia members convened a one-hour congress earlier, during which the protest’s launch was decided.
Adam Abdullahi, the institution’s chairman of ASUU, spoke at the protest and explained that they chose to organize the nonviolent action to demand that Ngige be fired because they had only received half-salaries for the month of October.
He bemoaned the minister’s failure to pay their salaries for the eight months they were due when the union went on strike in February.
Abdullahi issued a warning that the young of Nigeria may face a dismal future if the current impasse between the FG and the national body of the union is not promptly resolved.
He said, “The reason for this protest is to tell the Federal Government to sack the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, for his handling of the ASUU strike and the effect of that strike on the Nigerian educational system. The protest is also to tell the FG to pay us our withheld salaries.
“The Minister of Education has also failed. They paid us pro-rata and we are not casual workers. Pro-rata is the casualisation of the University workforce, and we are saying No to this.
“The government should listen to our (ASUU) demands and grant our request. The demands that we put on the table before the strike are still on, none of them have been met.
“Anytime it was due for the government to pay, instead of paying, they create an emergency and we are saying No to this. So because of all these, academic activities in the institution will be grounded for today and we may continue if nothing is done about our demands.”
According to reports, the ASUU FuLafia members carried signs that said, among other things, “Buhari Sack Ngige Now,” “Adamu Adamu Has Failed,” “No To Pro-Rata Salary,” “Pay Attention To Education,” and “Pay Withheld Salaries.”
Muhammed Musa, one of the university students who spoke on behalf of the other students, expressed his deep concern about the ongoing conflict between the FG and ASUU and made a request for the problems to be resolved as soon as possible so that they may resume their studies without interruption.
