Tinubu’s government speaks as ASUU declares nationwide indefinite strike to obey NLC directive

The national body of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has directed all its members nationwide to withdraw their service from Monday midnight till further notice.

The President of ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, gave the directive in a letter sent to all the union zonal coordinators and branch chairpersons of the union on Monday evening, November 13, 2023.

He said the directive was a reminder of the initial directive given by the leadership of both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) for all workers nationwide to commence industrial action from Monday midnight.

He maintained that ASUU as an affiliate of NLC would have to honour the directive so as to jointly protect the interest of Nigerian workers.

“So, all the leadership of our union at zone and branch levels should immediately mobilise all members to participate in the industrial action as a people united cannot be defeated,” he said.

In another development, ASUU expressed strong dissatisfaction against what it described serious economic crisis Nigeria and its people are currently grappling with.

The ASUU boss said the state of the nation and the university system was extensively assessed at the two-day National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union at the Kaduna State University (KASU), Kaduna State that lasted on Sunday 12th, November 2023.

Meanwhile, the presidency has described the nationwide strike action by the NLC and TUC as not in the national interest.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

The presidency said the strike action by the unions was a flagrant disobedience to a court order and a lack of respect for the judiciary.

Accordingly, the government expressed displeasure that the nation’s economy and social activities should not suffer because of the personal interests of any labour leader.

“This decision by the NLC and TUC, other than being an ego-tripping move, is unwarranted. It is an attempt to blackmail the government by the leadership of the NLC.

“We are still at a loss as to why the NLC and TUC decided to punish a whole country of over 200 million people over a personal matter involving the NLC President, Mr. Joe Ajaero, whose error of judgment led to an assault on him in Owerri while he was planning to incite the workers in Imo State into a needless strike.

“We reiterate that this strike action is illegal, immoral, unjustifiable, and irresponsible,” the statement reads.

Recall that a court order was issued four days ago, which restrained the unions from embarking on a strike.

The court order came days after NLC, TUC issued a nationwide strike notice over an assault on Joe Ajaero, the president of NLC, on November 1, 2023, in Imo State.

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