Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, has stated that he is tired of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) going on strike every time the Federal Government has a disagreement.
Ngige stated after meeting with members of the government’s team on the 2009 Federal Government/University-based Unions’ Agreement Renegotiation Committee, led by its Chairman, Prof. Nimi Briggs, that he is not the Minister of Education and that he cannot go to the Education Minister and tell him how to run his department.
He underlined that the Federal Government is dedicated to renegotiating the terms of employment for all employees in public universities across the country and that he is proud of the Nigerian university system for producing him.
The statement released by his Head of Press and Public Relations, Patience Onuobia, read;
“I began to exert pressure to ensure that things were completed. The Munzali Committee came up with a suggestion. Munzali and ASUU both declined to sign. We told everyone at our last meeting in February, before ASUU went on strike, that they should go back to their principal.
“I questioned the Education Minister on multiple occasions about what had happened to the document. We then learned about the points of contention. That is perfectly OK. It’s only a matter of time before it happens. I advised ASUU that they needed to form a committee because the Munzali Committee had expired.
“I have to use the labor instruments at my disposal as a conciliator.” The Federal Ministry of Education’s managers seems unconcerned about the strike. Some things are beyond my control.
“I am not the Education Minister.” I can’t go to the Minister of Education and tell him how to operate his department. However, I advised ASUU to bombard the Federal Ministry of Education for this to be carried forward
“There are numerous options for doing so. Picketing is a term that can be found in the Labour Act. You are free to picket. A strike is the pinnacle of events. Picketing entails remaining in the corridor while clapping or singing. It is permissible for employees to do so. But I’m wary of it being a strike every time there’s a disagreement.
“And the Federal Ministry of Education’s bosses seem unconcerned about the strike.”
Children attend public schools, and some of us, as parents, send our children there.
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