NASU to participate in labour protests today

Seeks adequate funding of libraries
The WAEC/Libraries and others Trade Group Council of Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associated Institutions (NASU), has pledged its support for the national protests and rallies slated for today (Tuesday), over the non-submission of the minimum wage bill to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In an external resolutions issued at the end of its regular meeting held at NECA headquarters in Bida, Niger state, the union flayed the Governors’ Forum for insisting state governments cannot implement a new minimum wage of N30, 000.

The resolution, which was signed by the Deputy President/Chairman of WAEC/Libraries and other trade group of NASU, Michael Adegoke, and secretary, ‘Damola Adelekun, descried the actions of the forum as selfish.

The trade group expressed support for any step taken by the organised labour movement to ensure the new wage structure is transmitted to the National Assembly.

It added: “The Council therefore condemned the antics of the state governors as anti-workers and selfish, as every state has the resources to pay the recommended amount. It therefore called on the Federal Government to immediately do the needful by passing the recommendation to the National Assembly for legislative action so that it can become a reality.

It also expressed total support for the December 2018 deadline given by the Organised Labour for the commencement of implementation of the payment as any foot-dragging must be met with total showdown.”

The council-in-session also decried the continued inadequate funding of the education sector, which it said, is responsible for the spate of industrial crisis.

The union further expressed serious concern that the children of the downtrodden masses will soon be unable to access good and quality education anymore.

The Council-in-Session therefore called on the Federal Government to inject more funds into the educational sector as a matter of urgency as the seven per cent budgetary allocation to education in the year 2018 annual budget is far cry from the UNESCO recommended allocation of 26%.

NASU also bemoaned the poor funding of libraries by both the Federal and State Governments.

“Conscious of the fact that libraries play prominent role in education and national development of the nation, the Council urged the present administration to improve funding and increase annual budgetary allocation to the libraries and also review the Act that established TETFUND to include Public Libraries and the National Library in its fund intervention,” it noted.

As the union begins final preparations for its delegates’ conference this year, the Council-in-Session expressed appreciation to the various organs of NASU for their excellent performance during the outgoing tenure in office.

It called on all NASU members to comply with the union’s election guidelines and timetable adopted by the National Executive Council (NEC) of NASU for the year 2019 elections and urged them to conduct themselves according to the rules, as election process is not a do or die affair.

In the same breath, NASU also urged Nigerians to elect only credible candidates that will advance the cause of the Nigerian people during the 2019 general election slated for next month and March.