The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, will meet the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities on Monday (tomorrow) to conclude the negotiation on the suspension of the strike by ASUU, which has entered the sixth week.
ASUU had claimed that the strike was informed by the poor funding of the nation’s universities and staff remuneration that led to the union’s ongoing strike, which began on November 5.
The Director of Press at the minister’s office, Samuel Olowookere, who made this known to our correspondent in Abuja on Friday, said negotiation for solutions to the issues tabled by ASUU was an ongoing issue.
“Labour minister is again meeting with ASUU on Monday by 4pm. You may wish to attend,” he said in a text message without elaborating.
Olowookere however refused to give the details of the partial agreement said to have been reached by both parties in their last meeting.
Last week, the Federal Government and ASUU reached a partial agreement after the union leadership met the minister last Monday evening.
Ngige said the meeting touched on some areas of misunderstanding in the implementation of the Memorandum of Action signed in 2017.
He said, “Some of these areas, we have substantial compliance and some other areas have not been fully dealt with like the issue of shortfall in salaries of some federal universities’ workers and lecturers.
“ASUU has given a list to the Accountant General’s Office and we have agreed that by Wednesday, that list should be cross-checked by the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Auditing.”
The minister said sources, where funds could be realised for revitalisation of the universities, had been recognised, adding that appropriate government organ would be contacted on the issue.
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