ASUU STRIKE UPDATE! NUPENG To Join ASUU Strike

Latest educational news reaching us today, is that the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has over the weekend, threatened stop the distribution of petroleum products across the Nigeria if the Federal Government failed to implement the agreement which they had reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

Things are really getting ugly for the Federal government.

Though NUPENG has not yet announced the date for the commencement of the solidarity strike, the union leaders did mention that the strike became necessary in view of the lingering ASUU strike which the Nigerian Federal government had failed to resolve in the last three months.

While speaking at NUPENG’s National Administrative Council, NAC, meeting, weekend in Lagos State, The NUPENG President, Igwe Achese expressed his displeasure at the crisis which the Nigeria educational sector is currently facing.

The NUPENG national president also blamed the crisis on government’s failure to honor her agreements, also saying that this had led to the proliferation of strikes in nearly all sectors of the economy since the beginning of the year.

Here is what the NUPENG national president said and we quote him.
“We appeal to government to implement agreement reached with ASUU so that students can go back to school. If the crisis in the sector is not resolved, we will soon direct our members to embark on solidarity strike.”

Mr. Achese also sis blamed the Ministry of Labour for failing in its responsibility to check the breakdown and abuse of laws governing industrial relations practice in the country by employers including government.

Mr. Achese did not hesitate to share his thoughts and here is what he said.

“The Ministry of Labour needs to be proactive if we must get these issues nipped in the bud. The ministry also needs to make sure that agreements reached or communiqué signed are implemented.

“The ministry has a big role to play to avert strikes in the country. When unions begin to lose faith in the ministry that is when we have this kind of crisis. The labour minister should be firm in making sure that the right decisions are taken.

“As it is now, every activity in the Ministry of Labour is in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, which ought not to be so. The role of the SGF should be to intervene only when the need arises.”

However, the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, had over last week given the Federal Government two weeks ultimatum to honour her agreement it has reached with ASUU or face total shut-down of the education sector in the Nigeria.

The total shutdown seems imminent now as the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, resumes its suspended strike today after it said the government failed to fulfill its promises.

Now, the Federal government has their hands full of strikes, workers strike among others..