ASUU Strike: Lecturers furious over FG, Ngige's comments

 

Image: Channels TV

The ASUU strike might not end anytime soon as comments from FG and Dr. Ngige did not go down well with the union.

Speaking to our source, PUNCH, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities accused the FG of “sabotaging efforts to ensure standard education for Nigerian youths.”

The lecturers are furious over the recent statement of Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.

Recall, Buhari issued a statement last week through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, saying, “truly, enough is enough for keeping students at home.”

Moreover, while speaking on Wednesday, Dr. Ngige accused the President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, of misinformation. He said there was never a time the FG and ASUU drew up a Collective Bargaining Agreement that required the President’s signature.

During Sunrise Daily on Channels TV, Osodeke castigated Ngige for his “insulting” comments.

“What the Minister of Labour has done is a complete insult to the character of people like Professor Nimi Briggs, Senator Chris Adighije, Professor Olu Obafemi,” Osodeke.

“The minister instead of looking for how to resolve the problem is busy abusing his colleagues, abusing even the Minister of Education,” he said.

Osodoke went further to hold Ngige responsible for misinforming Nigerians.

“It is so sad that we have gotten to a stage where our children are lamenting at home and the Minister of Labour is busy churning out fake information and misinforming the public, trying to undermine the integrity of ASUU,” the professor added.

The President of ASUU also took to time to react to Buhari’s comment, and he said, “I do not understand why Mr. President said that ‘enough is enough’ when we are not the one delaying the students at home.

“The Federal Government had sent its team to negotiate with us, and we have finished. Instead of coming back to us to tell us the outcome of the meeting, we are hearing this.

“If you set up a committee to negotiate on your behalf, and the committee has finished and they have brought the information to you to sign and then you said enough is enough, what does this mean?” he asked.

The negotiation committee was inaugurated by the FG on June 7 to renegotiate the 2009 Agreement with ASUU and submit its report to the Education Minister, Mallam Adamu Adamu, within three months. The committee was led by Prof. Nimi Briggs and was expected to review the draft proposed FGN/ASUU Agreement. They were to liaise and consult with relevant stakeholders and finalize the FG’s position.

Apart from those, the committee also are to renegotiate in realistic and workable terms the 2009 Agreements with other University-Based Unions and carry out some other negotiations, and they have three months to submit their report at the end.

The committee is chaired by Brigs, Pro-Chancellor, Alex Ekweme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi.

Other members are Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Wukari, and Arc. Lawrence Patrick Ngbale, who represents North East; Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Prof. Funmi Togunu-Bickersteth, representing South West and Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja, Senator Chris Adighije, representing South East.

Also on the team are Pro-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Olu Obafemi from North-Central; Pro-Chancellor, Kano State University of Science & Technology, and Prof. Zubairu Iliyasu, representing North West; and Pro-Chancellor, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Mathew Seiyefa from South-South.

Source

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