The country may be thrown into yet another period of darkness as electricity workers announce plan to join the nationwide protest by the organised labour over plight of striking universities lecturers and students.
The organized labour is not going back on its planned national public demonstration as it prepares to force the Federal Government to meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The body embarked on an industrial action on February 14, leaving more than 80 public tertiary institutions across Nigeria shut.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will embark on a nationwide protest in support of ASUU on July 26 and 27.
But the government has declared that the planned demonstrations “are uncalled for and illegal”.
Information Minister, Lai Mohammed suggested it was high time the actions of labour were interrogated.
At the weekend, workers in the power sector under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) confirmed they would join NLC.
In a memo with ref. NUEE/NS/2022/008, General Secretary, Joe Ajaero communicated the decision after a meeting of the central working committee and national working committee.
All members were directed to “massively mobilize and actively participate in the NLC/ASUU solidarity protest”.
Ajaero urged vice presidents, state/administrative councils and chapter secretaries to collaborate with the leadership of state executive councils for “a successful outing”.
Led by Prof. Victor Osodeke, ASUU is irked by poor funding of schools and laxity in the payment of Academic Earned Allowance (EAA).
Others include the use of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and refusal to adopt the Universities Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
The ASUU strike entered the sixth month on July 15 as tens of thousands of undergraduates await an announcement for resumption.