FG Will Explore Other Options If Lecturers Remain Sturbbon – Chris Ngige

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has come out to say that the Federal Government would try out other provisions in the labour law if no agreement is reached between the FG and the striking lecturers soon.

He recently revealed that FG has done well to meet six of ASUU’s nine demands.

According to him, negotiation is key at this point, so he would keep discussing with ASUU till the issues are resolved.

He added that he is an optimist on the matter and he hopes everything will be concluded in the nearest future.

His words, “Even if countries go to war, at the end of the day they come to the negotiation table. I’m inviting them (ASUU) next week. We are doing side meetings on our part and we are collating everything. I’m collating responses from the Accountant General of the Federation’s Office and everybody who has something to do with this matter”

“I’m not looking at that (long) period. I’m an optimist on this matter. By next week, we will conclude this matter. There are so many options left. We have the labour laws and I have options left to me in the labour laws. I have other channels.”

What do you think?

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is a Nigerian union of university academic staff, founded in 1978. The ASUU was formed in 1978, a successor to the Nigerian Association of University Teachers formed in 1965 and covering academic staff in all of the Federal and State Universities in the country.

The Union was active in struggles against the military regime during the 1980s. In 1988 the union organized a National Strike to obtain fair wages and university autonomy. As a result, the ASUU was proscribed on 7 August 1988 and all its property seized.

It was allowed to resume in 1990, but after another strike was again banned on 23 August 1992. However, an agreement was reached on 3 September 1992 that met several of the union’s demands including the right of workers to collective bargaining. The ASUU organized further strikes in 1994 and 1996, protesting against the dismissal of staff by the Sani Abacha military regime.

After the return to democracy in 1999 with the Nigerian Fourth Republic, the union continued to be militant in demanding the rights of university workers against opposition by the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo.