ASUU Strike: FG Gives Condition Before Negotiation Will Resume (See Details)

Chris Ngige

The federal government has called on the Universities' Academic Staff Union (ASUU) to suspend its current strike before resuming negotiations on the grievances of the union that contributed to the strike. The Minister of Labor and Jobs, Chris Ngige, has made this statement.

According to him, by paying salaries for the striking lecturers, the federal government has shown enough goodwill and urged them to discontinue their strike to allow their dispute to be settled in peace.

The minister said that he made attempts to negotiate with ASUU, but this was not possible due to the lockdown.

There are two reasons why ASUU should call off the strike, the minister explained. The first explanation is that government has shown sincerity and provided olive branch by unconditionally releasing the university lecturers' salaries.

The second is that it is unethical and shameful for those who should be doing research as Nigerians to find new medicines and medical equipment that would be used during the COVID-19 era to say they are playing Ludo and Draft and other games at home.

"During this COVID-19 outbreak, even if schools are not open, ASUU members, particularly researchers, are supposed to go into their laboratories, go to botanical gardens to get some shrubs and other plants to be used in drug production.

"Whoever is a pharmacologist, who is in the department of electronics and software engineers, now is the time for work to create ventilators or make any inventions. Just saying they are on strike at this time is unpatriotic for them to proceed. They shouldn't say it,' he said.

The minister also asked those concerned about certain shortcomings in Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information Systems (IPPIS) at tertiary institutions that the issues will be resolved satisfactorily early.

He said: "When IPPIS was implemented into the federal public service, there were some hiccups. It took a while until they 'd been rectified. We were thorough. We were moaning when I was in the National Assembly but the good thing is that the IPPIS desk in the Office of the Accountant General is listening and they are discussing the issues. It will be rectified and they will pay the arrears or deductions once this is completed, "he said.