BREAKING: NLC begins Massive Solidarity Protest in Lagos

There is a heavy presence of security operatives across parts of Lagos State following a protest organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in solidarity with the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The protest is taking place around the under-bridge axis in Ikeja, where labour members, other trade unions and civil society groups have converged.

Vehicular movement towards the protest venue has been disrupted as security agencies mounted checkpoints and cordons around the area.

Security operatives, including the police and other security agencies, were deployed to the venue to prevent a breach of peace and to protect protesters from possible attacks by hoodlums.

According to The Nation, ASUU shut down public universities nationwide and commenced its ongoing strike on February 14 after the Federal Government of Nigeria failed to meet some of the union’s demands.

ASUU’s demands include:

• release of revitalisation funds for public universities,

• renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement,

• payment and release of earned allowances for university lecturers, and

• deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) platform for the payment of lecturers’ salaries and allowances.

The solidarity protest by the NLC is aimed at increasing pressure on the Federal Government to resolve the prolonged industrial action, which has kept public universities shut across the country.