Lateef Adams
ERC Coordinator, Lagos
Students from 7 polytechnics (Moshood Abiola Poly Abeokuta, Federal
Polytechnic Offa, Federal Polytechnic Ede, Federal Polytechnic Ado, Federal
Polytechnic Ilaro, Federal Polytechnic Bida and Yaba College of Technology
(YABATECH)) on Monday June 24 held a protest march against the refusal of the federal
government to meet the demands of striking workers which has led to the closure
of polytechnics nationwide. The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and
the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) have been on
strike for over 50 days without any serious effort by the government to address
their demands.
Since the beginning of the strike the members of the
Education Rights Campaign (ERC) have been involved in various campaigns and
activities to force the government to honour the agreement it has reached with
the striking workers since in 2009 so that the polytechnics will be reopened. The
ERC members were part of the previous protest marches organized by the National Association of Polytechnics Students (NAPS) and SSANIP in Abuja and Lagos
respectively while on its own organized mass activities in Bida and Minna Niger
states over the issues.
The ERC members from University of Lagos, Yabatech and Federal Polytechnic Bida
joined the protest with banner and leaflet highlighting demands of the striking
workers, arguing that government has the capacity to meet the demands but for
its anti-poor education policies and calling for mass support for the striking
workers.
Dimeji Macaulay ERC Coordinator Niger State |
Among other student activists, the protest march was
addressed by Comrade Dimeji Macaulay, ERC Coordinator Niger State and Comrade
Lateef Adams, ERC Coordinator Lagos State. In their speeches they stressed the
fact the anti-poor capitalist agenda of education underfunding of the
government, at all levels and irrespective of political parties, is the root
cause of the strike and other crises in education sector. The imposition of outrageous fees on LASU by the ACN government is cited as an example of how all
pro-establishment political parties are in agreement on attack on public
education. They argued that the demands of the striking workers and protesting
students must include agitation for adequate funding of education and democratic
running of the sector with involvement of elected representatives of education
workers and students.
Lateef Adams, ERC Coordinator Lagos |
They
also reiterated the call of ERC on the striking workers not to limit the strike
to a stay-at-home action. They must organise mass activities like rallies,
circulation of leaflets, symposia, etc to sustain the mass support for the
strike and their demands. Indeed, without such activities the fact students
have spent over 50 days at home may, out of frustration, pit some parents and
students against the striking workers.
While commending SSANIP which has held a protest march, they urged them
not to make it one-off event. ASUP must not only emulate SSANIP but both also
hold joint mass activities with the union and students.
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