Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Benue State Chapter, have joined their counterparts in other states of the federation to embark on a two-day sympathy protest in support of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Benue state, Mr. Godwin Anya, who led the protest to Government House in Makurdi, Tuesday, said the union has decided to take over the issue between ASUU and the Federal Government because of the insensitivity on the part of the Federal Government.
Reading a letter from the National President of the union, Anya said NLC is demanding the federal government to pay withheld salaries owed members of ASUU, accept the proposed payment system by ASUU and to settle all other issues raised by the union with immediate effect.
Receiving the protesters, State Governor, Samuel Ortom, urged the Federal Government to honour the agreement it voluntarily entered with ASUU so that the union can call off its strike.
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Ortom who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Professor Tony Ijohor, said the inability of the Federal Government to resolve her issues with ASUU resulting in students staying at home for more than five months was unacceptable.
The Governor said the Benue State Government was in full support of the sympathy protest by the NLC as well as other actions it intends to embark upon and promised to take their grievances to appropriate quarters.
Governor Ortom also called on the Federal Government to revisit its “no work no pay” policy to armtwist ASUU into submission, saying the honourable thing to do was for the Government to address all the issues raised by the union.
The Governor disclosed that his Government would sit with the Joint Action Committee of NASU AND SSANU of the Benue State University within the shortest possible time with a view to negotiating and solving their issues.
