During this crucial gathering, organized labor will assess the planned strike’s logistics in light of the recent attack on NLC’s National President, Joe Ajaero, and review the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Federal Government and Organized Labour on October 2, 2023, in response to the removal of fuel subsidies.

On Tuesday, TUC’s National Vice-President, Tommy Etim, made this announcement.

This move comes after organized labor issued a five-day ultimatum last week, leading up to their protest against Ajaero’s arrest in Owerri, Imo State.

The labor centers have demanded the redeployment of the state’s commissioner of police and the apprehension and prosecution of the governor’s aide accused of orchestrating the attack.

In the event that their demands are not met within the specified five-day period, the unions have also threatened to embark on a nationwide strike.

Ajaero was apprehended by the police in advance of the statewide protest in Imo scheduled for Wednesday.

Recall that the union had on Monday, February 14, 2022, embarked a one month warning strike to press home its demands.

But ASUU in a meeting of its National Executive Council which started on Sunday ended early Monday morning said the strike has been extended.

Confirming this report, a member of the NEC said, “Yes, we have extended by eight weeks. President will issue a statement soon.”

In the statement by the Union’s President, Emmanuel Osodeke, explained that the strike was extended because the Federal Government has failed to satisfactorily address all the issues raised in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action within the four-week warning strike.

Osodeke noted that the National Executive Council during their meeting on Sunday concluded that they would give the FG eight weeks to address all the issues “in concrete terms” so that students would resume.

The statement partly read, “NEC acknowledged the intervention efforts, in various ways, by patriots and friends of genuine national development (students, parents, journalists, trade union leaders, civil society activists etc.) to expeditiously resolve the crisis which Govemment’s disposition had allowed to fester.

“However, ASUU, as a union of intellectuals, has historic obligations to make governments honour agreements.

“NEC, having taken reports on the engagements of the Trustees and Principal Officers with the Government, concluded that Government had failed to satisfactorily address all the issues raised in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action within the four-week roll-over strike period and resolved that the strike be rolled over for another eight weeks to give Government more time to address all the issues in concrete terms so that our students will resume as soon as possible.

“The roll-over strike shall commence by 12.Olam on Monday, 14th March 2022.”

The meeting comes on the heels of the inauguration of new ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.

The NEC meeting which is held monthly, deliberates on the coordination of the economic planning efforts and economic programmes of the various levels in government. The council comprises the 36 state governors, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Minister of Finance, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and other government officials and agencies whose duties hinge on the economy.