Workers in Oyo State joined their counterparts nationwide in protesting the Federal government's reluctance to grant the Academic Staff Union of Universities' (ASUU) demand, which has been the subject of a six-month strike, under the auspices of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
All public universities across the nation were forced to close as a result of the impasse in negotiations between ASUU and the Federal Government about the union's demands.
The NLC, which disapproved of the government's stance as the strike went on and it became more insistent, had previously threatened to join ASUU in an effort to pressure the government to uphold its different agreements with the union so that students could return to class.
However, the NLC kept its word today by launching a two-day protest in all 36 states of the union.
The Oyo State Workers began their demonstration at the NLC Seretariat in Ibadan, the state's capital, and held placards criticising the administration of being insensitive to the needs of common people, especially parents whose children are languishing at home as a result of the university closures.
Beginning early on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, the protest halted all commercial activity throughout the Ibadan metropolis as workers moved about and people stayed indoors.
Although it was a peaceful protest, businesses also closed their doors to consumers because they were unsure of how the security services would respond.
Some business owners at Mokola, Dugbe, Gate, Molete, Oke Ado, Agbeni, and other locations opted not to open their doors for fear that thugs would seize the chance to rob them.
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), NUPENG, JUSUN, SSANU, and NASU were a few of the organisations and associations who participated in the demonstration.
According to the NLC, the demonstration is also a chance for the workers to draw the government's and other relevant authorities' attention to a number of other national issues.
Numerous protestors who poured into the streets carried signs with different invocations urging the relevant organisations to respond to their demands.
ASUU has been at loggerheads with the Federal Government since February 14, 2022 over the latter’s failure to honour some past agreements, among others.