Government seven days to resolve the strike
embarked upon by Academic Staff Union of
Universities, ASUU, or face a total shut down of electricity facilities in the country.
The union said that it could no longer sit
back and watch those in positions of authority destroy the future of young Nigerians who have remained at home for weeks on account of the Federal Government's refusal to meet the legitimate demands by ASUU.
General Secretary of NUEE, Mr Joe Ajaero, who spoke at a training workshop for labour
leaders in the power sector in Enugu, said
that electricity workers across the country
would be directed to join other progressive
labour unions "to shut down the country" as a way of expressing anger over the lingering
face-off between the Federal Government and
the academic staff.
He said: "We can no longer sit back and watch this disturbing drama going on between the Federal government and ASUU.
If the strike is not addressed within the next one week, NUEE and other progressive unions, will shut down the country.
It is unfortunate that those in power are not bothered about the closure of the
universities.
They are less concerned because none of their children are studying in Nigerian universities.
Their children are overseas just as they
travel overseas for medical attention because they have allowed our hospitals to die.
Whether our children are out of school or not they are not bothered but we are going to join our children to stay at home from next week.
Ajaero called on the National Assembly to make a legislation banning public office holders from sending their children to study abroad just as overseas medical trips by public officers should be outlawed to enable
government address the numerous problems
weighing the nation down.
Our public institutions are dead because
those unpatriotic leaders have nothing to do
with them but when they are banned from
traveling overseas to access improved
facilities, they will have no option than to
look inward and address our numerous
challenges," he added.
According to the NUEE General Secretary, the
payment of their members' entitlements had
remained slow explaining that the government's promise to conclude the payment before weekend might not be feasible as majority of the workers were yet to be settled.
He urged the Federal Government to stop
playing politics with electricity workers'
entitlements, Ajaero reiterated the union's
resolve not to allow the new investors access to the power stations until all the workers were fully settled.
He, however, expressed regrets that some of
the workers who had received their
entitlements were already living in luxury by buying expensive cars and traveling overseas instead of investing the funds on rewarding
ventures.
Ajaero stated that the training workshop for
the union leaders was intended to enlighten
them on the need to encourage their members to engage in investments that would be beneficial to them and members of their family after disengaging from service.
0 Response to "Electricity workers threaten power sector shutdown"
Post a Comment