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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige had accused the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of being a menace to public peace clamming the union’s president was using the ongoing strike to canvas and mobilise voters against the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government in the 2023 presidential election.
This is as the minister has urged former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and current National Chairman of the opposition Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) to stop exploiting ASUU’s intransigent strike to frustrate the government.
Ngige stated this in a statement in Abuja yesterday, by his media office, saying it was wrong for Jega to state in a television television that he had turned the ASUU strike into personal quarrel as “all his actions as the nation’s labour competent authority and chief conciliator of disputes, especially as they relate to the ASUU strike fall within the ambit of the law.”
Ngige said he had no personal quarrel with any of his colleagues in ASUU, but would always insist on fair and equitable treatment to all categories of workers in public and private sector.
“Trade unionism must exist for the good of the unions, their members, just as it must lead the vanguard of public good. It must protect the nation and her people just as it shelters union members, it is not a social club for the academics to act in detriment to the nation. This is the piece of advice we thought Jega would avail his former comrades from his presumed deep mine of experience and now a trustee and adviser to ASUU.
“Ngige will continue to discharge his responsibilities as Minister of Labour and Employment without fear or favour just as we assume that Jega discharged his as Chairman of the INEC. Or does it mean that when he sanctioned political parties or candidates, including cancellations of nominations and election results, he discharged such duties in bad faith because of personal quarrels?
“We had thought of overlooking Jega’s darts as sheer exercise in espirit de corps, but Jega is now the national chairman of one of the opposition political parties whose mission is to wrest power from the APC. Should we then ignore him when it is obvious that he is hiding under the ASUU strike to egg Nigerians into rebellion against the ruling party? How can we stand akimbo when the President of ASUU, Prof. Osodeke had on national television urged Nigerians to vote out the APC? The video is circulation for all to access on Youtube.”
“If the present ASUU leadership has turned labour agitation into hooliganism, how does Jega define such unionism? Is abusing Mministers and top government officials, and sometimes trying to physically assault them part of unionism that Jega is defending ?”
“…Jega should also now know of the threat by some overzealous ASUU officials at the University of Lagos to the daughter of the Minister of Labour in September 2020, that she would be failed in her final MBBs exams if the father continued to support government positions. Ngige’s children are all products of medical schools of public university – UNILAG, COUTH , Awka and UNIABUJA . Jega’s children are all overseas!
“Are all these part of decent unionism or sheer acts of intimidation deployed in negotiations ? Professor Jega is now a full blown politician and part of the opposition that wants the APC out and would rather not see this. Prof, permit us to tell you this straight. You are not in a position to judge or offer any unbiased opinion in this matter.”
