Strike: FG Negotiation With ASUU Ends In Deadlock

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige was the head of Federal Government representatives in a meeting between the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in Abuja.

The reconciliatory meeting between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities has ended without both parties reaching any agreement.

Even at the presence of the industrial action embarked by the lecturers, both parties failed to reach an agreement at the meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday February 22, 2022.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, invited the academic body for a meeting to address her demand for students to go back to school.

At the meeting that lasted for a few hours had ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, alongside other leaders of the union in attendance.

Recall that Nigerian’s academic sector suffered a setback the leader of the university body charged his team to embark on a warning strike.

As a result of the industrial action expected to last one month, academic activities have been grounded in various government-owned universities in the country.

The academic body declared the strike to re-echo its demands of revitalisation of public universities, payment of earned allowances, improved funding of state universities, and promotion arrears for members.

Another concern raised was the replacement of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) with the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) in the payment of emoluments to members, among others.

A week after the strike commenced, Ngige, while addressing Tuesday’s meeting, said the government was surprised that the lecturers could take such a decision.

According to him, commencing an industrial action was unnecessary at a time when the government is doing its best to resolve the issues raised by the lecturers.