Despite the court order obtained by the Federal Government to stop the planned general strike and mass protest scheduled to start tomorrow, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), on Saturday, directed their members come out en-mass on Monday to commence the strike and the protest in their respective states and locations.
National presidents of SSANU, NCSU and the ASCSN, who reacted to the purported court order on Saturday, said they had not received any such order, while their umbrella body — the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) — were said not to have also received any order.
Therefore, the unions who are affiliates of NLC and TUC said they were fully mobilised for the take-off of the strike and mass protest tomorrow, and expected the government to announced the reversal of fuel price to N65 before midnight today.
SSANU President, Comrade Samson Ugwoke, said; “we are not aware; NLC is not aware that they went to court because we were not consulted; we were not served and we were not in court. A reasonable and sensible jurist will ask for the accused. It was only a one-party affair.
“We were surprised to hear that they said our action is illegal. How can it be illegal for me as a Nigerian to express myself? To say it is illegal is making mockery of the constitution.”
A letter earlier signed by the SSANU president had directed all members of SSANU to commence the strike tomorrow and join the protest.
Entitled; “Letter of authorisation to join the general strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC),” it said all members of the union should join the general strike in their respective jurisdictions.
The letter was addressed to all SSANU branch chairmen and members, while it was also copied to all vice chancellors of universities, all heads of inter-universities centres, the executive secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) and the acting general secretary of the NLC.
The letter read; “SSANU, as a responsible affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress, is obligated to participate fully in the general strike/protests declared by the congress over the recent fuel price increase.
“This letter, therefore, authorises all SSANU branches and members to join the strike/protests in their respective jurisdictions.
“This is without prejudice to SSANU’s impending ultimatum over the non-implementation of the 2009 FGN/SSANU agreement, which expires on the 3 January, 2012. The national secretariat will communicate to you our next line of action on the issue, immediately after the NLC’s general strike.”
Ugwoke further said; “SSANU is a very responsible affiliate of NLC and we have always been involved in all activities of NLC. The reason for the strike is very clear; it involves all my members, we are all concerned as workers; the university sector and the citizens of this country.
“We have met and sent the authority letters to all branches and all Nigerian universities and all university centres across the country to comply fully with the indefinite strike and mass protest that will commence on Monday, 9 January 2012.
“So, we have mobilised our members across the country. Apart from the authority letters with the attachment of NLC communiqué, we have also sent text messages to all chairmen, secretaries and treasurers who are National Executive Committee (NEC) members of SSANU across the country. So, we have mobilised our members and we are ready.”
Forclosing the possibility of a last-minute negotiation, he said; “we take directives from NLC. I was at the NLC NEC meeting; we didn’t talk of dialogue. How do you dialogue? We met the government only once at the State House and if I may quote the president, he said the interactive session would be continuous and he was going to direct his Labour Minister to always invite us for such interactions until we reach conclusion.
“We were surprised that on 1 January, the New Year package that the president had for us was 100 per cent removal of oil subsidy about which he had not concluded negotiation with labour.
“Our stand is that there is no negotiation until we have returned to status quo ante; that is fuel price going back to N65 per litre. Then, that will mean that they have created a level ground to start discussion.
“So, if by tomorrow, peradventure, they announce it that they have returned to status quo ante, NLC will call NEC that will direct our members accordingly. Without reversal to N65 per litre, the action continues.”
On his part, while speaking on the said court order, the NCSU president, Comrade Kiri Mohammed, said; “we have not been served. If I have been served, I will know it is contempt, but we have not. It is like a Kangaroo court.
“We have sought legal opinion from our lawyers and the conclusion is that we can go ahead since we have not been served.
“So, all the civil servants will withdraw their services from Monday and none will go back until our demand of fuel price reversal to N65 is met.”
Comrade Kiri, therefore, directed civil servants to be fully mobilised and ignore the purported court order, urging them to come out and join the strike.
A text message also sent by NCSU General Secretary, Comrade Gerald Ukeni, to all state councils of the union read: “You are by this text directed to mobilise our members to commence total strike with effect from Monday, 9 January, 2012. Ensure that during the period, union offices are kept open for coordination. Keep in touch with the national headquarters for further clarification. Aluta continua.”
Also, according to the president, ASCSN, Comrade Olakunle Olaitan; “our plans and strategy for the mobilisation are kept to our chest. You don’t divulge information on your strategy when mobilising, so that your detractor don’t have unclue advantage over you.
“Things will definitely take shape in the sense that we have resolved to go on strike and nothing can stop us because it is our constitutional right to protest and go on strike, more so that we are not aware of any court order. We were not served. Let them continue talking; I know that people wish, which is God’s will, will prevail. I will be part of the mobilisation from Lagos end because there is no way I can come back to Abuja. I am presently out of Abuja and in Lagos for the meetings of Trade Union Congress. We have not been served any court order.”
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