This is even as the strike by the Union entered into its 57th day today.
The Federal Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige says the principals at the Ministry of Education are less concerned about the ongoing strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
“The bosses in the Federal Ministry of Education do not feel the strike. There are things that are above me. I am not (the) Minister of Education. I cannot go to the education minister (Adamu Adamu) and dictate to him how to run his place,” he said on Monday during a meeting with members of the government side of the 2009 federal government/university-based unions agreement renegotiation committee led by its chairman, Nimi Briggs.
This is even as the strike by the Union entered into its 57th day today.
Recall that ASUU embarked on a one-month warning strike on February 14 and extended it to another two months at the expiration of the warning strike over the alleged failure of the government to address their demands.
In a statement by Patience Onuobia, the minister said he had been pushing to see that everything contained in the 2020 memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by Buhari’s regime and the union was carried out, including implementing the renegotiated positions, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
He recalled that the renegotiation commenced in 2017 when the regime inaugurated a committee headed by Wale Babalakin, later replaced by Munzali Jibril.
He noted, “I started pushing to see that things were done. What the Munzali committee came up with is a proposal. Both Munzali and ASUU did not sign. At our last meeting in February, before ASUU proceeded on strike, we said everyone should go back to his principal.
”I asked (the) education (ministry) several times what they had done with the document. We later got information on areas of disagreement. There is nothing wrong with that. It is bound to happen. I told ASUU to put up a committee; they said (the) Munzali committee had expired.”
As a conciliator, the minister said he had to use the labour instruments at his disposal.
He suggested picketing the education ministry.
“Picketing means that you can stay in the corridor, clapping or singing. Workers are permitted to do so. But every time there is a disagreement, it is strike,” lamented Ngige.
“I have my children in public universities, including those on my foundation’s scholarship and sponsorship. So, I am a parent. I feel it. I didn’t send my children to Igbinedion or Afe Babalola or Cambridge.”
He stressed he was proud to be a product of the Nigerian university system.
“Why won’t I support if ASUU and their unions now want a renegotiation of their conditions of service, which is the main thing in the proposal by (the) previous Munzali committee?” added the minister.