There is more trouble for tertiary education in Nigeria as the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Non-Academic Staff of Universities (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Universities (SSANU) have issued notice of resumption of its suspended nationwide strike.
Addressing a press conference, in Abuja, on Wednesday afternoon, the the JAC of the unions said the action would take effect from Monday, September 11.
This was as the Federal Government’s delegation, comprising Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige and his Ministry of Health counterpart, Prof. Isaac Adewole, with their Ministers of State, entered closed door with the leadership of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at the conference room of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, in Abuja.
Daily Sun gathered that SSANU at their just concluded meeting, in Abuja, resolved to resume the industrial action.
A national officer of the association was sighted when he came and delivered the notice of strike to the Labour Ministry.
The Federal Government said, yesterday, that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, and his Eduction counterpart, Mallam Adamu Adamu, will continue to lead its negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) whose members are on strike, contrary to the insinuation that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had taken over the leadership of the government team.
ASUU strike
The clarification came in separate statements from the Vice President’s Office and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment
Ngige had, while briefing State House correspondents after last Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting, been quoted as saying the Vice President had taken over certain aspects of the negotiations with the striking university teachers.
In a statement, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Laolu Akande, said reports that Osinbajo had taken over the negotiations with ASUU were inaccurate.
“Media reports seemed to have misrepresented what Labor & Employment Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige, meant when he spoke with reporters about the negotiations after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday”, Akande said.
“The Vice President had a discussion after FEC with both the Labour Minister and Education Minister Malam Adamu Adamu around the issues, but has not taken over the negotiations as widely reported. Both Ministers will continue to lead the FG- ASUU talks.
In the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment statement, signed by its Deputy Director, Press, Samuel Olowookere, it said Ngige as the chief conciliator of industrial disputes in the country and the Minister of Education whose Ministry is the employer of the university teachers were still leading the talks.
The statement further said the consultation at the office of the Vice President by both Ministers after last Wednesday’s FEC meeting was in consolidation of the negotiations so far held with ASUU.
It explained that, “The Vice President has not taken over the matter. The meeting in his office was in consolidation of negotiations. Engagement of the striking ASUU members is still being handled by Ministers of Labour and Employment and the Minister of Education.
“Issues of strike by an employee is a labour matter . The Minister of Labour and Employment is therefore synergising with his Education counterpart where the strike occurred to resolve the dispute.
“Just as the Minister of Labour and Employment led negotiation with the National Association of Resident Doctors in conjunction with the Minister of Health, the same applies in the case of ASUU.
“As a matter of fact, the Minister of Education reported progress on the issue to the Federal Executive Council and together with the Labour Minister held a meeting with the Vice President subsequently.
“This is normal procedure in government where Ministers report to the President or Vice President to streamline efforts and gains in a given assignment. But that does not entail such assignment is no more being handled by the Minister charged with the responsibility.
The statement added that the Minister of Labour specifically told reporters that government negotiating team on ASUU strike was to meet with the Vice President”.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, will on Tuesday (today) meet with the President and executive members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in Abuja to resolve the lingering strike by the union.
A statement from Deputy Director (Press), Ministry of Labour and Employment, Samuel Olowookere, on Monday night, said the government delegation at the meeting would include the ministers of Education and Finance, Chairman, National Income Salaries and Wages Commission, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission and the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
Our correspondent had on Monday reported exclusively that the Federal Government would meet with ASUU leadership this week to resolve the strike which had paralysed academic activities in public universities across the country.
The union leaders were expected to brief the government delegation on the resolutions reached on the offers made by the Federal Government during the last meeting held on August 17, 2017.
“Senator Ngige calls on ASUU to show good faith as the Federal Government had already demonstrated commitment to addressing the grievances of the union,” the statement noted.
September 06, 2017
