From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Federal Government has slated another reconciliatory meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for next Monday following the parties’ failure to reach an agreement at the meeting on Tuesday.
Speaking with journalists on the outcome of the meeting with the university lecturers in Abuja, yesterday, Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said they touched on five areas of the union’s demands and both sides agreed to address some grey areas in the agreement.
According to the minister, officials of the labour ministry would be meeting the minister of finance and the accountant general of the federation to iron out outstanding issues on the implementation of the agreement with ASUU.
He said: “The outcome of the meeting is that we have discussed and touched on all their five points’ demands. We have gone through all of them, sorted them out, and fix a timeline for action on about four.
“Tomorrow, on the government side, we will meet with the finance minister, education and the chief of staff as directed by Mr. President so that we can finalise certain grey areas in the issue of revitalisation funds for 2022.”
Commenting on the date to reconvene, Ngige said: “We wanted to reconvene today but they said one of their trustees, Lasisi Asobie, was bereaved, and would be going there today and tomorrow. I am hopeful that we can reconvene next Monday,” he said
Ngige has assured that the government would do all it could to end the ongoing industrial action by ASUU.
He said the government was taken aback by the renewed strike, which started on February 14, 2022.
According to him, the Federal Government was surprised ASUU acted against the understanding and assurances it gave through the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), led by Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar and Christian Association of Nigeria Chairman, Supo Ayokunle.
Ngige described the one month warning strike by ASUU as illegal, saying the union demands have being addressed since last year.
This was contained in a statement by the ministry’s spokesperson, Charles Akpan, yesterday, at the end of a meeting between the government side and ASUU.
He said the strike by the university lecturers is a clear breach of the law, adding that the union did not go through the normal process before embarking on the industrial action.
According to him, ASUU did not give the Federal Government the minimum 14 days strike notice prescribed by the law, prior to the strike.
“I saw their letter in my office on February 18, which is last Friday and as you know, they started their action on Monday, February 14. So, it is a clear breach of labour laws. There are violations.
“If you must notify us of an intending strike, you give us a minimum of 14 days notice. I pointed it out to them that we are a country guided by laws. Nobody is above the law. They should obey it,” he said.
The minister said he was in Botswana for the African Regional Labour Administrative Centre meeting when ASUU declared the strike.
Meanwhile, speaking to Daily Sun on phone, ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, said the government had only made promises as usual and that the union would be awaiting implementation.
On whether ASUU would be calling off the strike based on the assurances of the Federal Government, Osodeke said: “ That is left for our members to decide. We will discuss with our members and decide if we are calling off the strike or not.”