Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) Sunday placed her members on red alert in solidarity with the striking unions in the education sector over government’s inability to honour agreements signed with the workers.
In a statement jointly signed by the president, Comrade Biobelemoye J. Josiah and the acting general secretary, Comrade Auwalu Yusuf Kiyawa, the union lamented that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), National Association of Academic Technologists(NAAT) , Non Academic Staff Union(NASU) and SAUTHRIAI had been on strike for over five months while government seems helpless in resolving the issues.
The statement further said no responsible government would allow her public tertiary institutions to be shut down due to periodic demands for adequate funding as well as improved welfare for the workers.
The union however said in order to protect the future of the youths whose academic life is being disrupted, there is need for the government to implement without further delay all the agreements it had entered with the Unions.
They further called on MDAs to ensure President Muhammadu Buhari’s earlier directive to resolve all outstanding issues with the unions is backed by immediate acceptable action that would end the stalemate.
“The Leadership of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria is particularly irked that the Federal Government and the political Actors have abandoned the children of the poor masses at home to waste away, instead they are seen dissipating energy and resources that could have been used to resolve the issue to fund political tussle to occupy plum offices that previous occupiers have failed to use for the benefit of the masses.
“We are more worried with the development because the academic future of the Citizenry is being disrupted whereas the politicians and top Government officials have their children mostly in well funded and equipped oversea schools or in relatively expensive private schools in Nigeria.
“Discerning minds will agree with us that the negative impact of the strike to the future of our children and Nigeria in general cannot be quantified. We call on people of goodwill to stand up in defense of the right and future of our children and Nigeria, by demanding Government to do the right thing and bring back these children to the classroom.
“We condemn in strong terms the lethargic attitude of Government in resolving the issues in contention.
“MHWUN wishes to use this medium to unequivocally state that we firmly stand behind the University based Unions and the clear position of NLC leadership in this historic struggle.
“Our State Councils have been put on a red alert, as we will not hesitate to declare a solidarity strike in support of the Unions if Government fails to resolve the issue within a reasonable time,” it said.
Security
On the security challenges in the country, the union urged government at all levels to rise to her duties by protecting lives and properties.
MHWUN said Nigerian workers were no longer safe in both their homes and places of works, adding government must ensure an end to insecurity in Nigeria.
“Furthermore, the Medical and health Workers Union of Nigeria categorically condemn in the strongest words the spate of insecurity in the Country. The rising orgies of killing, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and extreme agitation for secession have assumed a dangerous dimension. Hardly any day passes by without reports of security challenges in some parts of the Country. Human lives have become so cheap and without value.
“Nigerian workers are no longer safe both at their homes and at work places, as many have lost their lives to these enemies of state.
“We therefore, demand for a resolute action from Government to end this degrading assault on the sovereignty of our Nation.
“We equally condemn the current scarcity of diesel, cooking gas, petrol and aviation fuel, and the rising wave of arbitrary prices all over the country.
“This pathetic development has further exposed workers whose salaries and income has already been eroded by inflation, to greater hardship. The situation reinforced the earlier call by the organised Labour for a resolute action on domestic refining of petroleum,” the statement further said.
