By Eberechi Obinagwam,
National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW), has said that the prolonged strike as a result of Federal Government ineptitude towards ASUU, NASU, SSANU demand for the welfare of working people in tertiary institutions, particularly federal universities will affect the performance of students, saying that the union will join NLC in it’s solidarity with ASUU to persuade federal government to resolve the issue without delay.
The union who made this known in a statement issued and jointly signed by the National President, Comrade Stephen Okoro, and General Secretary, Comrade Ibrahim Walama, said 14 July 2022 was exactly five, (5) months of the ASUU strike.
According to the union, ”As the strike lingers, students, academic performance suffers. We are all parents and should understand that when learning is halted for such a long time, students’ reading abilities grossly decline,”
The union recalled that as the technology landscape of Universities continues to develop, students increasingly depend on them for assistance in the development of skills required in a digital age instead of mere content.
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“It is common knowledge that the contemporary world is becoming too dynamic for any nation to be left behind the curve of acquiring and appropriating the scientific and technical knowledge through the higher institution of learning for all round development, unfortunately, with the strike characterizing Nigeria’s public Universities system, I am doubtful to the belief that they can measure up to the task of keeping pace with the global trajectory.
“To say the least, the devastating effects of youths’ idleness might be caused by academic paralysis. This may lead some students to be involved in some unproductive activities such as cultism, cyber scam, gambling, gossip, watching films, and reading fun materials in the place of important academic materials in this period of strike,” NUCECFWW said.
The union explained that all the above, portend grave consequences, as well as the social ills in society such as kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, armed robbery, and the likes which should be fought to a minimum by the government to reduce their influence on youth that constitute a greater percentage of the student population in the tertiary institutions.
“We are particlelarly concerned that instead of addressing the lingering issues in the education sector, the shameless political class is busy gallivanting all nooks and crannies of Nigeria state campaigning and soliciting for votes against 2023 general elections without minding the future of our future generation.”
However, the Construction union made it clear that they are aligning with the other trade union movements, Civil Society Organizations, (CSOs), and all well-meaning Nigerians to persuade the federal government of Nigeria to urgently address and resolve all gray areas relating to ASUU, NASU, and SSANU without delay.
They also used the medium to state unequivocally that the union, (NUCECFWW) shall in solidarity with ASUU, NASU, SSANU, and NAAT and in alliance with NLC, shut down activities in construction industry in solidarity with unions in the education sector to drive home their demands for good governance, welfare package and effective sustainable of Nigerian universities and sustainable development goal.
“By a copy of this press release, we wish to inform the federal government of Nigeria and the general public that we are putting all our members on red alert to be in solidarity action in line with Nigeria labour congress, (NLC) at very short notice.
We remain solidly behind ASUU demands and against the federal government of Nigeria’s recalcitrant approach reneging on existing negotiated agreements,” the union said.