FG, ASUU both losers in ongoing strike – Aremu

ILORIN— The Vice President of Nigeria Labour
Congress, NLC, Comrade Issa Aremu yesterday
in Ilorin, Kwara State said both the Federal
Government and striking members of Academic
Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, were both
losers in the ongoing over four months old
industrial action embarked upon by the
university lecturers.
Aremu who is also the General Secretary of
National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring
Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, regretted that
the death of the former ASUU leader, Professor
Festus Iyayi had caused major setback in the
Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC’s intervention in
resolving the face -off between ASUU and
federal government.
Aremu spoke with journalists in Ilorin at the
fidau for the late wife of the pioneer Chairman,
Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related
Offence Commission (ICPC ), Hajia Akanbi.
He pointed out  that Nigeria cannot be among
the top economies of the world with her
universities shut for over four months.
According to him,“We are all losers and the
lessons from this is that government should
learn to keep and respect agreement reached
collectively .We can’t be part of the leading
counties of the world when we shut Universities
for four months,”
He extolled the virtues of the of the late
Akanbi’s wife, describing the deceased’s demise
“as a loss of a comrade mother” whom he said’
was very passionate about Nigerians and the
state of the Nigerian nation”.
He said though the late jurist wife “was
anonymous” in her struggle, the union
recognized her silent roles and the supports she
gave to her husband who according to him, is a
friend of the labour’.’
He added that for every respected jurist like the
former chairman of ICPC to maintain his
national honours and respect till date, the late
wife also played a vital role.