FG, ASUU meet Thursday on lecturers’ demands

• Ngige appeals to ASUU to suspend strike

The meeting between leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU ) and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige aimed at prevailing on the striking university lecturers to call off their strike is to resume on Thursday, the Ministry of Labour has said.
The decision to resume the meeting was taken on Tuesday after a meeting between the Minister and the leadership of the union at the Minister’s Confernce Room, Federal Secretariat.
A statement on Tuesday night signed by the Deputy Director Press in the Ministry, Samuel Olowookere said the the Tuesday’s meeting took significant steps towards the quick resolution of the issues raised by ASUU.
The statement said that the meeting particularly agreed on the forensic audit of the sum of 30 billion Naira earlier given to ASUU in 2010 and further agreed on monthly remittances to ASUU while the audit lasts.
“The Minister hence wishes to assure members of ASUU, indeed all Nigerians that government is already at work to resolve all outstanding issues in line with the resolve of the present administration to cast any form of disruption of universities’ academic calendar into the dust bin of history.”
Similarly, the Federal Government has appealed to ASUU to suspend its ongoing strike in the universities in the interest of the nation.
Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, made the appeal in a statement signed by Samuel Olowookere, Deputy Director, Press, in the Ministry, on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to Mr. Ngige, there was an ongoing renegotiation of the 2009 agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU by the Babalakin Committee.
“The federal government has set up the Babalakin Committee on 13th Feb. 2017, which is already addressing the issues raised by ASUU.
“Though the federal government did not wish to apportion blame, it is important to note that ASUU did not follow due process in the declaration of the industrial action.
“As it did not give the federal government the mandatory 15 days’ notice as contained in the Section 41 of Trade Disputes Act, Cap T8, 2004.
“In fact, it was on 14th August, 2017 that the Office of the Minister received a letter dated 13th August 2017 from ASUU, that is, one full day after it commenced the strike,” he said.
He, however, noted that the letter was to inform the federal government that ASUU has commenced strike, adding that this is not a declaration of intention to go on strike as contained in the Trade Dispute Act, 2004.
He further said that since the case was being conciliated, it was against the spirit of Social Dialogue and Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for ASUU to embark on strike as enunciated in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention.
“The Federal Government therefore wishes to appeal to ASUU to consider students who are currently writing degree and promotion examinations. Please call off the strike and return to the negotiation table.’’
The minister added that the Ministry of Labour and Employment would ensure that a time frame is tied to negotiation this time around.
Mr. Ngige added that the Babalakin Committee was ever ready to continue the negotiation.
He also noted that the necessary ingredients for fruitful social dialogue as well as adequate powers to negotiate and make recommendations to the federal government had been put in place.