Stop misrepresentation of facts, ASUU is a trade union, NLC cautions Head of Civil Service

By allcitynews.ng

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) claimed Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as a trade union even it it cautioned Head of Civil Service of Federation, Dr (Mrs) Folasade Yemi-Esan against misrepresentation of facts.

Describing ASUU as an affiliate,
NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba condemned the statement by the Head of Civil Service as subtle way meant to treat ASUU outside the labour circle.

According to Wabba NLC decided to speak on the matter in order to correct the wrong notion set up by the misleading statement of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on the status of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as an organisation.

Explaining the history of the union, he reminded Dr Yemi-Esan that ASUU was formed out of Nigerian Association of University Teachers formed in 1965. Since its formation, ASUU has remained as trade union that is affiliated to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) since 1978.

Moreover, Wabba stated that the founding President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Hassan Sunmonu is currently serving as one of the National Trustees of ASUU, a union that has been of struggles since then.

“The shining badge in the antecedents of ASUU is the commitment of the union to fight for the interests of its members and those of the ordinary Nigerian. The persistent demand and activism by ASUU for wage and social justice has seen the union and its members come under very heavy shellacking by successive governments in Nigeria.”

Wabba in addition said, “It is truly sad that such a pan-Nigerian and progressive union composed of some of the very best intellectuals in Nigeria could be
easily dismissed as not being a trade union by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. Whatever Dr. Mrs. Yemi-Esan wants to achieve with such a fallacious claim is difficult to discern.
We implore the Academic Staff Union of Universities which has been
the intellectual backbone of organized labour and workers in
Nigeria to ignore the disparaging claims by the Head of the Civil
Service of the Federation.

” Dr (Mrs.) Folasade Yemi-Esan is not well
informed of the claims she made as she is not a competent authority
to assert on trade union registration and indeed ancillary trade union
concerns in Nigeria. We also urge Nigerian workers and other well-meaning members of the public to ignore her comments.”

Comrade Ayuba Wabba, mni
President
19
th
January 2022