The Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals – ANAP – has threatened to shutdown the nation’s airports in solidarity with the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, which started in February.
The development follows closely the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC’s, directive asking its members to down tool between July 26 and 27 in solidarity with the striking university teachers.
In a statement issued Monday by Abdulrasaq Saidu, general secretary of ANAP, the association called on Pres. Buhari to end the strike without further delay.
ANAP said the protracted strike has added to social problems in the country as students now engage in vices capable of destroying their future.
It said the strike, which has lasted five months and still counting, had ridiculed Nigeria’s educational system and made it a laughing stock.
“ASUU, NASU, SAUTHRIAI, NAAT had been on strike for more than four months due to the apparent failure of government to sign the re-negotiated 2009 Agreement with ASUU, failure to honour the terms reached at in May 2022 MoU signed with ASUU, and habitual failure of government to respect Collective Bargaining Agreements willingly signed with labour Unions.” ANAP said.
The association said education remained the bedrock of any country aspiring for greatness, noting that the ASUU strike will lead to a regrettable outcome if not handled with care.
“Our children are using eight years to read courses of four years with resources being wasted. We cannot continue this way,” the statement reads.
The union said its members would align with the NLC’s position in protesting against the unfortunate situation in the tertiary educational sector.
In a related development, the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees – NUBIFIE) – said it would join the NLC in solidarity with the ASUU strike.
NUBIFIE said this in a statement signed Sunday by Anthony Abakpa, its national president and Mohammed Sheikh, its general secretary.
“However, if after the one-day protest by NLC on this issue and nothing is done, the union will have no other option than to call out all our members in banks, insurance and other financial institutions in solidarity with ASUU,” it added.
