“Go back to your students” – FG tells ASUU

The federal government has further appealed to members of ASUU to end their industrial action immediately and return to their students.

This appeal was made by Sen. Chris Ngige, the current minister of Labour and employment. He made this appeal on Thursday while discussing with journalists after he had received a notification letter of nomination for the award of ‘Public service icon’, by the Sun newspaper.

Ngige said the federal government is working tirelessly so as to address the industrial action which ASUU and other unions had embarked on.

He said,

“There is no point giving you percentages on paper that nobody can pay. Munzali worked out a percentage which placed the university workers on about 200 percent pay rise. The Federal Government through the Education Ministry said they cannot pay. The Ministry of Finance said they cannot pay. They came to me and I said nothing is wrong with renegotiation because even if a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is signed, it could be renegotiated.

The document produced by Munzali was not signed by both ASUU and the Federal Government. It is a proposal. Manzali’s committee had elapsed. The Education Ministry didn’t act as I wanted. The Minister was away but his luietnants didn’t do anything for five months, contrary to my expectations. The minister has set up another committee headed by Prof. Nimi Briggs. They have been working and I have given them six weeks to come up with a proposal.

NITDA said UTAS failed. ASUU said we didn’t fail. As we were discussing, ASUU went on strike.In the face of this disagreement between ASUU and NITDA, we are talking with NITDA to bend backwards so that there will be a handshake between UTAS and the government certified IPPIS platform. After embarking on strike, ASUU has gone back to what I proposed to them”.

The managing director of the Sun newspaper, also praised the senator and urged him to carry on with his good works.

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