Esther ImonmionÂ
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says its organs will meet to decide the next line of action as the one-month ultimatum it issued to the Federal Government over the looming industrial action in public tertiary institutions expires today, Saturday.
The acting Secretary-General of the NLC, Benson Upah, disclosed this on Friday in an interview with journalists in Abuja.
Last month, after a meeting with tertiary institution-based unions, the NLC issued a four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to resolve the lingering crises in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
“We have decided to give the Federal Government four weeks to conclude all negotiations in this sector. They have started talks with ASUU, but the problems go beyond ASUU, which is why we extended it to four weeks,” NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said at the time.
With the ultimatum ending on Friday, Upah reaffirmed the NLC’s commitment to maintaining industrial harmony in tertiary institutions.
“In keeping with our pledge and our unflagging commitment to the noble causes of the unions in tertiary institutions, the appropriate organs of the Congress will meet and decide on the next line of action. You will be duly informed,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to avert a shutdown of public universities.
Speaking on Friday, the Assistant Secretary-General of NANS, Adejuwon Olatunji-Emmanuel, called for “urgent, decisive and lasting action” to address issues surrounding the ongoing warning strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
He noted that Nigerian students had enjoyed an uninterrupted academic calendar since the beginning of President Bola Tinubu’s administration — a level of stability not experienced since 1999 — stressing that the progress must be protected.
“Sustaining this momentum is essential not only for academic continuity but also for national development and the well-being of millions of students whose futures depend on a functional and stable education system,” he said.
Olatunji-Emmanuel urged the government and all stakeholders to prioritise dialogue and resolve all pending concerns to prevent disruptions to learning.
ASUU had on October 22 suspended its two-week warning strike, giving the government a one-month window to meet its demands. The window expired on Friday. The union’s demands include a review of the 2009 ASUU–FG agreement, payment of outstanding salaries and earned allowances, and disbursement of the university revitalisation fund.
ASUU had warned that it could resume industrial action without prior notice if concrete steps were not taken within the one-month period.
However, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, insisted two weeks ago that the government had met the union’s demands, reiterating President Bola Tinubu’s directive that there must be no strike in public universities. He said negotiations were ongoing and that the government was doing “all that is humanly possible” to keep students in school.