President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Waba has said that money realised from the sale of Presidential forms by the two main political parties and bribes to delegates at the Presidential primaries was enough to address the problems of University Lecturers.
This is even as angry members of the Akwa Ibom State branch of the NLC, along with other affiliate unions on yesterday defied heavy Police presence and marched on the Government House in Uyo to protest the Federal Government’s insensitivity over the continued strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
Led by the National President of NLC, Ayuba Waba, who was represented by the zonal officer, Hon. Uche Nweke and the State Chairman, Comrade Sunny James, the group marched from the the NLC Secretariat to the Government House to deliver a message to the Governor for onward transmission to the FG.
Ayuba, said the strike became necessary to draw the FG’s attention to over five months of shut down of academic activities in the University system.
“If today we are talking about ASUU, NASU, NATE and other strikes and we know the monies that comes around, I have been privileged to be in the House before and I know what am talking about.
“Monies realized from the sale of forms by the two major political parties and others $200 to $300 Dollars paid to delegates are enough to settle the crises in the University system”. The President said.
State NLC chairman, Comrade Sunny James, urged the State Government to be in the vanguard of impressing it on the FG to end the lingering strike once and for all, in the interest of students and national development.
However, Governor Emmanuel who was represented by the Sectetary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekeuwem and the Head of Service, Mr Effiong Essien, promised to deliver their demands to the Governor, who was not available.
Ekeuwem, underscored the importance of education as a pivot of development, noting that “education system needed seamless operations to churn out quality graduates to drive system.
He appealed to the workers to conduct themselves peacefully in order not to jeopardize their good intentions of defending the interest and well being of the students.
