Following the meeting held at the National Complex in Abuja on Tuesday, the police on Wednesday fired tear gas and shot bullets into the air to disperse protesting students of some polytechnics, colleges of education and some NGOs in Lagos.
The peaceful protest was organised by the National Association of Polytechnic Students, Education Rights Campaign and Concerned Students Against Education Commercialisation.
The protest was to ask the Federal Government to resolve its conflict with the striking Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union.
In the Tuesday meeting in Abuja, hope dimmed as the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike disclosed that the Federal Government is confused and in a difficult situation on how to resolve the prolonged strike of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics ASUP and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union COEASU which are in its 8th and 5th month respectively. Wike said this at a re-conciliatory meeting with the ASUP president Chibuzor Asomugha, COEASU chairman, Zuba Ahmed Lawal and the president, Nigeria Labour Congress NLC Abdulwahed Ibrahim Omar, convened by the Hon. Aminu Sulaiman-led House of Representatives Committee on Education.
The minister made it known that he arranged a meeting with ASUP and proposed the payment of the outstanding arrears in installments but ASUP rejected the proposal.
According to Wike, sequel to the rejection of the proposal by the ASUP, the Wages and Salaries Commission wrote a letter also rejecting the proposal, thereby compounding the situation. ASUP and COESU began strikes in September, 2013 and December, 2013, respectively.
NAN reports that the protest, which took off from the Yaba College of Technology, was disrupted at Evans Square in Ebute Meta.
Scores of armed policemen, who arrived at the Evan Square in Hilux vans, fired tear gas and bullets to disperse the protesters.
At the sound of gunshots, the protesters, passers-by and residents of nearby Adekunle, Carter and Simpson streets took to their heels.
A protester alleged that a stray bullet hit an unidentified male student in the hand, while several others students were arrested and whisked away by the policemen. The situation resulted into traffic jam at Ojuelegba, Ikorodu Road, Herbert Macaulay Way, Jibowu, Mushin, Yaba and Sabo.
National Coordinator Education Rights Campaign, Mr Hassan Soweto, said during the protest at Jibowu Roundabout that the aim was to urge the government to end the strikes.
He said that the demands of the unions were genuine and would help to adequately train manpower that could enhance technological development of Nigeria.
No comments:
Post a Comment