Health workers decry Buhari’s slow response to funding education
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Health workers have put Muhammadu Buhari on notice that they, too, will embark on strike in solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that has been on industrial action for six months to compel him to fund education.
Power sector workers have already alerted the President of their own plan to join ASUU in the strike if he keeps playing the ostrich about the demand for improvement in the quality of education.
Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) National President Biobelemoye Josiah urged the federal government to implement without further delay all the agreements it signed with ASUU.
“MHWUN stands in solidarity with the university-based unions in the ongoing struggle to emancipate and reposition the public tertiary Institutions in Nigeria for progressive development,” Josiah said in a statement he cosigned with acting MHWUN Secretary General Auwalu Kiyawa.
“In order to protect the future of our youths whose academic life is being disrupted, we call on the government to implement without further delay all the agreements it had entered with the unions.”
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Demand for real govt action to end impasse
“We urge the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari’s earlier directive to resolve all outstanding issues with the unions is backed by immediate acceptable action that would end the stalemate,” the union said, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reported by Nairamatrics.
“MHWUN wishes to use this medium to unequivocally state that we firmly stand behind the university-based unions and the clear position of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leadership in this historic struggle.
“Our state councils have been put on red alert, and we will not hesitate to declare a solidarity strike in support of the unions if the government fails to resolve the issues within a reasonable time.
MHWUN said no responsible government will close down public tertiary institutions over patriotic demands for a better funding and welfare for teaching and non-teaching staff.
Reasons for this latest ASUU strike
ASUU and other unions in public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education have been on industrial action for more than six months over the failure of the federal government to meet their demands.
The unions are demanding funding of the revitalisation fund, earned allowances, implementation of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) scheme as well as promotion arrears.
ASUU has said it will end the strike the moment Abuja agrees to sign the negotiated agreement to invest in university infrastructure and to pay salaries through the recommended University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).