Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, begs striking university workers for forgiveness

Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has apologized to striking workers of various bodies of Nigerian universities for not responding on time to their demands, asking them to forgive him and the Ministry in the spirit of the just ended Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Adamu, who made the appeal on Thursday at a reconciliatory meeting in Abuja brokered by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, urged the unions including the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASSU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), as well as other aggrieved workers, to give the Ministery another chance at resolving the lingering crisis that has affected tertiary education in the country.

Represented at the meeting by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Andrew David Adejo, Adamu said the Ministry had not abandoned the issues affecting the workers but that prevailing “circumstances had made it look as such.”

While speaking at the meeting, Adejo said Adamu had specifically pleaded for forgiveness and urged that a new round of negotiations be reopened.

“We want to let you know that whatever sins the Ministry had committed before should be forgiven. We have repented and we will not sin anymore. We want you to see us as partners in progress,” Adejo said.

Read also: Reps call for immediate action as ASUU, others issue strike ultimatums

“It in that spirit of forgiveness of the just ended Ramadan fast that we feel that we fixed the meeting to discuss and resolve the issues.

“It may seems as if your employer, the Ministry of Education has abandoned you, but this is not true, that is not the true picture.

“As was captured in the communiqué issued at your last meeting with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the social apartheid the present strike is causing is leading to so many other problems that the earlier we sit down to solve it the better for the country.

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