Students at the Ondo State School of Health Technology in Akure were left frustrated on Monday as officials from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) stormed the campus and halted their ongoing second-semester examinations.
The labour representatives were enforcing the nationwide indefinite strike called to pressure the Federal Government for a better minimum wage. The school had begun exams the previous week and continued with some on Monday despite the strike.
According to Clement Fatuase, Chairperson of the TUC in Ondo State, the only exemptions granted were for the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Students arrived early for their exams and were underway when the labour unions arrived and ordered them to stop. A nursing student, Titilope, expressed her surprise and frustration: “We had started writing when they came to scatter everything. We were not allowed to finish our paper. It is our second-semester exams.” Disgruntled students were seen leaving the school premises after the disruption.
The NLC and TUC officials expressed satisfaction with the overall compliance with the strike action. Victor Amoko, Chairperson of the Ondo State NLC, confirmed a successful shutdown of both public and private sectors in Akure.
“We are receiving reports about the affiliated unions, and they are doing well, even though the strike has only just begun for seven hours. We are making good progress as all schools are closed down,” he said. “We have made a good start. If you go out there, you will find that the majority of our public and private offices are closed, and there is no work happening.”
Mr. Fatuase echoed these sentiments, highlighting the encouraging level of compliance across the state’s public and private sectors. He urged union members to remain united in their fight for better working conditions.
Fatuase emphasized that their discussions with the state government regarding exemptions for WAEC and INEC officials should not be misinterpreted as a compromise, but rather a recognition of their urgent schedules. “The message is, let’s fight this once and for all and win it once and for all,” he concluded.
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