NLC kicks off rally in Abuja over ASUU Strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) kicked off a protest rally on Wednesday to call for an end to the ongoing strike by university-based unions.

The rally started at the Unity Fountain in Maitama, Abuja, and ended at the National Assembly Complex.

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The rally which witnessed a large turn out of workers from the 43 affiliate unions of the NLC generated a heavy traffic gridlock between the Maitama- Federal Secretariat axis of the FCT.

The massive gathering of workers at the Unity Fountain earlier in the day was addressed by NLC President Ayubba Wabba, who urged the federal government to be sincere with the unions and address their demands for the campuses to reopen for students.

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ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, also addressed the protesters, stating that the union’s home-grown payment platform, the University Transparency and Accountability Solutions, UTAS, which was developed to accommodate the peculiarities in the university system, did not fail the integrity test as claimed by the Federal Government.

The Nigerian government has often been accused by the striking unions of breaking promises, claiming they could no longer carry the burden of the continued neglect of the country’s educational system.

The union’s state chapters mobilised their supporters on Tuesday to begin the two-day protest, while also delivering a list of requests to the state governors for onward delivery to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Wabba, who led the protest on Wednesday, advised participants not to give up until the goal of restoring Nigeria’s lost glory in education, economics, health, and other sectors was achieved.