NLC Insists On Solidarity Protest, Says Proposed Action Lawful, Interest Of Members

metro

3 years ago

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said that it is well within its rights to protest against the continued stay of students at home, following failure of the authorities to reach an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, who appeared on the Channels Television program, Politics Today said it is within the rights of Labour to defend their members as well as their children who have been out of school for the past five months.

According to the labour leader, workers are not going on strike but protest against what is being meted out to their members and their children

Wabba’s comment was in response to a statement by the Minister of Information , Lai Mohammed, suggesting that the proposed solidarity protest with ASUU is illegal and amounts to Labour taking side.

But reacting to the Minister, Wabba said Labour has exhausted all peaceful and legitimate means to ensure that government lives up to its responsibility, but all to no avail.

He gave an instance where some prominent religious and traditional leaders were involved and government requested for six weeks to act, but regretably, it is over two months now and government is still reneging.

He implored the Minister to acquaint himself with relevant local and international Labour laws as thei proposed action is legal and justifiable.

“it is elementary knowledge, that the right to peaceful assembly and protest is fundamental global right guaranteed by the UN charter on Human and Peoples’s right and the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria” Wabba said

Reacting further, he said the proposed action is not a solidarity protest, adding that the NLC is directly involved in the current dispute in the nation’s university system.

“All the four trade unions involved are affiliates of NLC. Secondly as citizens , our children have been out of school for 5 months, majority are children of working class and the less privileged, this alone should call for urgent action,” Wabba explained.
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He emphasized that all peaceful assembly are lawful and does not require any permission under the law.

According to him, in a democratic society such statement as was uttered by the minister is not consistent with the rule of law.