Our Children Have Become Problems To Us, Open Universities Now -Taraba Labour Leaders
On Tuesday, the Taraba State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress(TUC), called on the federal government to address the prolonged Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) strike.
The various unions and associations under the NLC made their stand known in Jalingo, the state capital during a solidarity protest with ASUU.
Armed with placards of different inscriptions, they converged at the NLC secretariat from where they proceeded to the government house, making intermittent stops on the way.
The group urged the federal government to immediately address ASUU’s demands to open the doors of public universities.
According to the state Chairman of the NLC, Peter Jediel Dobiala, the labour union will not go to bed until the government deems it fit to intervene.
“We will continue to protest if the government does not intervene.” He added.
”The reason why Nigerians are suffering is because the Nigerian workers don’t want to tell the politicians the truth because of their pockets.”
Peter Jediel Dobiala blasted the politicians for sending their children abroad to school while leaving behind children of the less privileged.
Also speaking, the state Chairman of the TUC, Sule Abasu, revealed that hoodlums had attempted to hijack the protest. However, he added that they were not successful because the participants were organised.
While demanding for the federal government through the state government to open the universities with “immediate effect:, Sule added that “our children have become a problem to us”.
Chairman ASUU, Taraba State University, Dr Samuel Shikaa, said the struggle was not only for ASUU.
According to him, people have more awareness now of the problem.
Addressing them, Commissioner for Special Duties, Pininga Binga who received the protesters at the Government House said the governor was fully aware of their presence and that he was in the same boat with them.
According to him, Governor Ishaku was in consultation with other governors who run similar universities and was working out modalities to resolve the problem.
Source: Daily Post
