The Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday led a crowd of protesters in a march to the state’s Government House to deliver a letter to the state governor, demanding an end to the ASUU strike.
While delivering his address at the rally at Government House in Uyo, NLC’s State Council Chairperson, Comrade Sunny James, said working class children are tired of staying at home and must now return to school.
“Our children are tired of staying at home. They must return to school,” Mr James said, adding that if the protest does not yield results, the union will embark on a 3-day warning strike to press home their demand.
The protesters were received by Governor Udom Emmanuel, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Emmanuel Ekuwem.
Mr Ekuwem told the protesters that the governor was attending a meeting on zoom where the same issue was being discussed.
He assured the protesters that he would deliver their letter to the governor, whom he said was also concerned about the prolonged strike by the university workers.
The protest took off at the Ibom Connection Junction grounding vehicular traffic along the routes.
Workers carried placards with various inscriptions and chanting solidarity songs. Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: “Whoever Said No Work No Pay is a Joker,” “End This Unholy Act,” “IPPIS Is Fraud,” “Non-Teaching Staff Positions Are Sacrosanct, Enough of Usurpation,” “FG Enough Is Enough, Bring Back Our Students to School”, and “Give ASUU What Is Due To Them”, among many others.
