ASUU will suspend strike before January 15 – Ngige

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, said on Tuesday the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) would suspend its prolong strike before January 15.

The minister had expressed similar optimism on the suspension of the strike in a chat with journalists at the weekend.

The assurance followed the part-payment of the university lecturers’ salary arrears by the government.

Ngige, who spoke at the meeting with ASUU in Abuja, added that the federal government has not received a letter from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) who threatened to embark on protests if the two parties failed to resolve their dispute before the end of the year.

He 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.

READ ALSO: STRIKE: FG, ASUU resume talks in Abuja

“I am optimistic that the meeting will produce the final result that will make everybody happy.

“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 International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions for all employers and employee, to guide this meeting.”

The ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, sympathised with the students over the prolonged strike.

He said no amount of sacrifice would be too much to get the dispute resolved as long as the government remained consistent in its commitments.

He, however, insisted that only the National Executive Committee of ASUU could announce the suspension of the strike.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now