The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has stated that the Issue of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, would soon come to an end.
Ngige stated this during an interview, on Tuesday, on Channels TV.
The Minister further stated that the Ministries of Finance, Education, Labour and Employment and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation will meet with the body.
The minister said:
“The issue of ASUU will soon come to an end. Two reasons – ASUU have called the federal government, represented by finance and the accountant-general office and their direct employers, the ministry of education to come for the test.
“We are ready to do that. After the Independence Day celebration, the four ministries and agencies involved will gather together with ASUU. We will look at the UTAS. If there are shortcomings with IPPIS as complained which UTAS have corrected. What’s wrong about it? It is software, we will look at it.
“Secondly, ASUU members have been collecting their money since COVID-19 came and I wrote a memo to Mr President that ASUU members are still Nigerians. Even the members, have families that they care for. By upper week, we are going to arrange for this demonstration.”
ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, also vowed that the union would sustain its ongoing strike action until its requirements were met.
Ogunyemi said ASUU was asking the Federal Government to implement the 2012 universities’ needs assessment.
“The issue of ASUU will soon come to an end,” he said. “Two reasons ASUU have called the Federal Government represented by Finance and the Accountant-General Office and their direct employers, the Ministry of Education to come for the test.”
This is coming three days after ASUU denied calling off its nationwide industrial action which started in March.
Vice President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, noted that the strike is still ongoing until the Federal Government meets their demands.
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