ASUU strike will be over shortly — Ngige

The Federal Government expressed hope Wednesday that the Academic State Union of Universities’ (ASUU) one-month warning strike, which began on February 14, 2022, would be ended soon.

Remember that ASUU organized a warning strike to persuade the Federal Government to fulfill its demands, some of which had been pending since 2009.

Senator Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, expressed hope for an end to the warning strike when speaking with reporters after a conciliation meeting between the government and the union.

According to Ngige, the group reached consensus on a number of issues, and a deadline for implementing the agreements was established.

According to him, ASUU officials committed to contact their members with government incentives and then contact him before the end of the week.

Many of the items in the 2020 Memorandum of Action, MOA, had been thoroughly addressed, while others were still being addressed, he said.

“Only one or two sections are new,” he explained. The revision of the Conditions of Service, dubbed the ‘2009 Agreement,’ is one of the new areas.

“In 2009, they agreed that their Terms and Conditions of Service would be reviewed every five years. In 2014, it was completed.

“We created one with Wale Babalakin, SAN, the former UNILAG Pro-Chancellor, as the chairman.

“After Babalakin, Prof. Manzali took over as chair, and the committee produced a draft document, which was proposed by the Federal Ministry of Education and ASUU.

“Manzali’s committee is no longer in existence now because many of the members are no longer pro-chancellors.”

Ngige stated that a fresh team had been formed to review the paper again.

“The education system in Nigeria is in crisis, and money is being lost at the primary, secondary, and postsecondary education levels,” said ASUU President Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke earlier.

He stated that money meant for education in Nigeria was being diverted to other nations, and he urged for a state of emergency to be declared in the sector to address the issue.