By John Ikani
Hundreds of workers have taken to the streets of the Nigerian capital, Abuja, in solidarity with university lecturers who have been on strike since February.
The rally was called by the most powerful union in the country – the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) – which represents millions of workers.
The Lecturers under he auspices of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have been on strike since February to protest the Federal Government’s refusal to fulfill the agreements with the union since 2009.
Parts of the demand include the replacement of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) with the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS); the release of the reports of visitation panels to federal universities; and improved funding for the revitalisation of public universities and others.
A previous strike by lecturers during the pandemic lasted nine months.
The head of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, said it would begin a three-day strike after the protest if the government failed to reach an agreement with the lecturers.
