The Federal Government says it will continue negotiation process with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday to resolve ongoing industrial action embarked by the striking lecturers.
Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment said this in a statement signed on Saturday in Abuja by Mr Samuel Olowookere, Director of Press, in the ministry. According to the statement, the meeting is in furtherance to efforts at resolving the on-going industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
“The Minister of Labour and Employment Sen. Chris Ngige is scheduled to hold a meeting with the Executive of ASUU. “The conciliatory meeting is scheduled to hold on Jan. 7, at Minister’s Conference Room by 30:30 pm prompt. Reports have that ASUU commenced an indefinite strike on Nov. 5, 2018 over certain demands based on agreement reached with government in 2009. One of the demands is the replacement of Dr Wale Babalakin as the chairman for the government renegotiating team of the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government Agreement. Other issues are non-payment of earned allowance, funding of revitalisation of the Nigerian universities, implementation of needs assessment report, poor funding of state universities, among others.
Meanwhile The Academic Staff Union of Universities has agreed to participate in the 2019 General Election, the Independent National Electoral Commission has announced. Earlier, the Commission had said that its chairman would meet with the national leadership of ASUU in Abuja on Friday (today).
The purpose of the meeting, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu revealed in a statement on INEC website, “is to discuss the ongoing strike by the Union but only in relation to our preparations for the General Elections.”
“We are concerned that the bulk of critical election duty staff are drawn from the universities.
“We are determined to ensure that the (electoral) processes are not affected by the Union’s industrial action.
“ASUU is a critical partner to the Commission in delivering credible elections.
“We look forward to the meeting and we are confident of a positive outcome,” INEC boss said.
ALSO The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Ogun Chapter, has called for urgent intervention in resolving the disputes that led to the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Mr Wale Adegbite, a former Chairman of MAN in the state made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota, Ogun, on Saturday.
NAN recalls that ASUU had on Nov. 5, 2018 embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike over some agreements between it and the Federal Government.
He stressed the need for the Federal Government to quickly intervene in the current industrial dispute.
”The earlier the better they resolve the problem so that we can have qualified graduates leaving the nation’s universities,” he said.
He appealed to the parties to shift grounds so that the strike could come to an end
