The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), has said its members may embark on a solidarity strike in support of the Unions in the University sector if the Federal Government fails to resolve the issue within a reasonable time.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by MHWUN national president, Com. Biobelemoye J. Josiah and Acting Secretary General, Com. Auwalu Yusuf Kiyawa.

Nigerian Pilot reports that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (NASU) and Non-Academic Staff Union have been on strike for over 5 months.

The Health Workers said no responsible Government would close down its Public Tertiary Institutions in this 21st century because of patriotic demands for a better funding of its Universities and good welfare for its teaching and non-teaching staff, saying this is shameful.

According to the statement, “The leadership of 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.”

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The MHWUN said it is 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.

The statement reads further, “Discerning minds will agree with us that the negative impact of the strike on 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.

“In order to protect the future of our
youths whose academic life is being disrupted, we call on the Government to implement without further delay all the agreements it had entered with the Unions. We urge the relevant MDAs to ensure that President Mohammadu
Buhari’s earlier directive to resolve all outstanding issues with the Unions is backed by immediate acceptable action that would end the stalemate.

“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.”

The union also said it has commenced mobilising its members to ensure their active participation in deciding the country’s next leaders in the 2023 elections.

The statement noted that, “as political activities are hitting up, it has become obvious that the same political Actors that have brought us anguish, hunger, pains, death, social and economic woes are seriously preparing to return to power. We wish to state that it will no longer be business as usual. We wish to reiterate our earlier call to all our members across the Country to ensure they register and obtain their PVCs and wait for further directive from the Leadership of the Union as Nigerian Workers’ are prepared to take back their country from the economic buccaneers.”

PILOT