The planned solidarity march by the Nigeria Labour Congress, with the striking members of the University-based unions, has been described as illegal by the Federal Government on Wednesday.
On July 17, 2022, the NLC announced that it would kick off a nationwide protest on July 26 and 27 to pressure the federal government to resolve the five-month-long strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities and three other sister unions.
Recall that ASUU had on February 14, embarked on a one-month warning strike. Other associations such as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions and National Association of Academic Technologists later followed suit, shutting down their activities in universities nationwide.
But addressing State House Correspondents on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the planned street protest is illegal since the NLC has no pending dispute with the government.
Mohammed accuses the congress of being motivated by partisan interests, advising it to “insulate itself completely from politics.”