Category: Education

The Federal Government has again assured that the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities would soon come to an end.

The assurances followed the payment of part of the arrears of salaries to the university lecturers in line with the agreement reached with the union .

Speaking at the meeting with ASUU , the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige , assured that the strike would be called off before January 15 .

Ngige said , “The government would disappoint all those wishing for the protests as all the matters in dispute must have been resolved by January 15 .

“ Those who want to use the # EndASUU protest to destroy public and private property or lecturers ’ homes will be disappointed.

“ I am optimistic that the meeting will produce the final result that will make everybody happy , ” Ngige said .

“ We are hopeful that ASUU will then take the report of what we achieved today to their members. We allow social dialogue in line with ILO conventions for all employers and employee , to guide this meeting, ” he stated .

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The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige , said university students would resume in January 2021 .

Ngige spoke in Alor , in the Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State during the inauguration of his medical outreach for the people of the area .

He said the Federal Government had met 98 per cent of the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities , adding that the remaining two per cent demands holding the strike would be sorted during negotiation on Tuesday ( today ) .

He expressed optimism that after the meeting , ASUU would call off their strike and students would commence studies in January .

“ We have met about 98 per cent of the request of ASUU ; the remaining two per cent is what you can call promissory notes. So , I am very hopeful that by midnight of Monday , there are some works we are supposed to get on to do . They also have some work they are supposed to do on their own side with their people.

“ We will be meeting in the afternoon of Tuesday to compare notes. I believe that we might have come to the end of the strike after the meeting. It is a journey of a thousand miles which you will have to take one step first . Tomorrow, all things being equal , we will agree because we were disagreeing before .

“ We disagree to agree and agree to disagree formerly . But tomorrow , I hope we will agree to agree . Once we do that , schools will open in January , ” Ngige said .

ASUU President , Prof . Biodun Ogunyemi , in an interview with news correspondent said the union would conclude make its decision known on Wednesday .

He said , “ I will address that matter on Wednesday . There is nothing I can say now . We are concluding our consultation by tomorrow (Tuesday ) . I have been telling all journalists that I won ’ t say anything until Wednesday . Whatever he (Ngige ) says I ’ m not saying anything . We are reviewing the situation. ”

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