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Strike: FG, ASUU to resume talks, resolve issues this week

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.End your industrial action now, VCs urges union

By  AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

Hope may have risen for parents who have been worried over the long stay at home of their children as a result of the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as federal government is set to resume talks with the union this week with a view to ending the prolonged closure of Nigerian public universities.

 

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige revealed this in his office while making opening remarks at a meeting between the government side and the striking National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) in Abuja.

 

Ngige claimed that the multiple industrial disputes in the education sector could have been averted if the unions in the sector took advantage of his open door policy like the health unions, which culminated in the peace currently enjoyed in the health sector.

 

The Minister who also decried  the rivalry between the education unions, said that everybody is important in the university system.

 

He assured that the government was tackling all the disputes in education sector holistically, maintaining that none of the unions could function effectively without the other union.

 

He said, “If you are from any union, you don’t need to book appointment to see me. The doctors started using that advantage, JOHESU also did the same. That is why the Health Sector is quiet. But the education unions don’t take advantage of my open door policy.

 

“We don’t have to cry over spilt milk. Let us look at your issues to see the ones we can handle immediately, the ones we can do in the medium term and the ones we can do in the long term. There are certain ones that are over and above me that are not in my hands to do.

 

“My job is to prepare an agreement after conciliation on what you have agreed with your employers, the Federal Ministry of Education, put timelines and monitor them, to see whether the results will be there.

 

“As a conciliator, I manage you people in measured steps. That is why I want to take all of you holistically and I ask for your cooperation. When I finish with you today, I will continue with ASUU next week. I have done NASU and SSANU yesterday and they were happy. I want you people to be happy as we leave here.”

 

Ngige further noted that the issues causing the rumpus in the industrial milieu were economic, bordering on money and welfare, including old arrears and 2009 renegotiation of Conditions of Service.

 

“I believe that if we talk frankly to ourselves, knowing fully well that the economy is not good and that you should have money that can take you home. With an open mind, we will arrive at something. Once we arrive at something, It will be done.”

 

He, however, pointed out that the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement would not be immediate, stating that the Education Ministry had put in place a committee to handle it.

 

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Andrew David Adejo re-emphasised that all the issues in dispute were basically economic, noting that everybody wants improved conditions of service.

 

Adejo said while  government agrees that workers should enjoy better Conditions of Service,  consistent industrial actions were  worsening the situation.

 

“In 2000 when this agreement was signed, N400,000 was equivalent to $3000. Today, that N400,000 is less than $400. Because of this consistent trend, we are reducing productivity in the economy. So, the things that will help us to generate more money to meet these demands have been taken away.”

 

He looked forward to the speedy resolution of the disputes to enable the children return to school.

 

Addressing the meeting, the President of NAAT, Ibeji Nwokoma said ordinarily, they would not have gone on strike, but they were compelled to do so because the Education Ministry didn’t help matters in the issue.

He said they embarked on strike as a last resort to draw government attention to their plight.

 

Also, The Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) has reiterated the need for the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resolve lingering issues to end the ongoing strike.

 

Chairman of the committee, Prof. Samuel Edoumiekumo, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

 

He said it was crucial for both parties to come to an agreement to end the strike as soon as possible.

 

He urged them to honour agreements entered into for academic activities to commence in the affected universities.

 

“We have already given a press release arising from the meeting of the general assembly of the committee.

 

“We said that ASUU and the Federal Government should amicably resolve all lingering issues,” he said.

 

Edoumiekumo, who is the Vice Chancellor of Niger Delta University, expressed optimism that the issues would be resolved soon.

 

NAN reports that ASUU had on Feb. 14 embarked on strike to press home some demands including call for government to implement Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed in December 2020 on funding for revitalisation of public universities.

 

Other demands are Earned Academic Allowances, renegotiation of the 2009 agreement and the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) among others.

 

Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, had on Friday stated that the Federal Government and ASUU would resume

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