ASUU Strike: We are fully mobilized to shut down all sectors – NLC
..says national grid will go down to zero

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday said it has fully mobilized all its affiliates both in the private and public sectors for a total shut down of the all sectors as it holds a two day solidarity protest in support of the ongoing strike in the educational sector.
Addressing affiliates in preparation for the two day nationwide protest against what it called government insensitivity to the universities workers plight, the NLC Chairman in Lagos, Funmi Sessi said workers in Lagos will start converging at Under bridge in Ikeja from 6a.m-6.30a.m and move enmasse to Alausa Secretariat from 7a.m to 7.30a.m to deliver a letter from the NLC national to Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu.
She noted that all the affiliates have shown their readiness to convene at Ikeja under the bridge on Tuesday for the nationwide protest to compel the Federal Government to meet the demand of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). 
Sessi said the essence of the meeting was to to mobilize all affiliates to protest against the poor handling of the education sector in Nigeria.
She lamented that students in higher institutions from poor homes have been at home for over five months, adding that government further exacerbate the crisis with the introduction of ‘No work, no pay policy. 
“Stoppage of the salary is draconian, we are supporting the struggle of ASUU, SSANU, NAAT and others. Despite efforts to broker peace, government has failed.
“We are already fully mobilized, we will be on the street using the protest to drum support for the parents of the students who have been home for this long period,” she said.
According to her, NLC has charged all the private institutions owned by the state government to abstain from going to work, adding that it is the directive from the national body (NLC) that Lagos State University(LASU) and other state owned institutions should join the protest as workers.
“If the government like, let them bring all their armour tanker and security agencies, we will face them. Holy Fire will not allow anything to disturb or cancel the protest.
“We are using this opportunity to tell all institutions in Lagos State to come out in solidarity with us because the reward will be for all. Injury to one is an injury to all”, she added. 
Sessi also emphasized that the national grid should go down to zero and for health workers only emergency services would be allowed. 
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) stressed that the protest is for Nigerians. 
Adelaja Odukoya, Zonal Coordinator ASUU, Lagos maintained that the strike that caused unions in the universities to be on prolonged strike is a deep-rooted crisis.
He said, “the struggle is in the interest of our children, enough is enough government must fund education system. If we allow government to continue they will destroy our universities as they’ve done for our secondary schools.
“If Nigeria must develop, attention must be paid to our university education.”
He lamented that the strike was imposed on the lecturers, stating the lecturers are ready to go on with the strike even if it would take two years. 
“The jobs here are supposed to be for our children, our youths, but if they are not well trained people from outside will take the jobs,” he said.
Abiodun Aremu, Coordinator of the Joint Action Front (JAF) said there’s money to pay the universities workers and revamp the education system drawing inference from money expended on political parties primaries.