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Tag: Chris Ngige

  • What Chris Ngige said after ASUU called off strike

    What Chris Ngige said after ASUU called off strike

    The Ministry of Labour and Employment has lauded Nigerians for their support in the negotiations leading to the end of the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    Mr Olajide Oshundun, Deputy Director Press in the ministry, said this in a statement he signed on Friday in Abuja.

    The leadership of ASUU had earlier in the day suspended its eight months old strike.

    Oshundun said Sen. Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, had expressed gratitude to all well-meaning Nigerians who had participated in the various negotiations to ensure the strike was call off.

    He said that with the steps the Federal Government is taking, Nigerian students will be saved the unpalatable experience of intermittent, prolonged industrial actions in future.

    He also said “in a special way,” Ngige expressed gratitude to Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and the leadership of the House of Representatives, revealing , “we particularly recognise the patriotic efforts of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, the former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Supo Ayokunle.

    He also commended all members of Nigeria Inter Religious Council (NIREC) and Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, whose wisdom and intervention raised a ray of hope while the strike was at infancy but for ASUU’s intransigence to negotiation.

    “We were forced to migrate the matter to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), created by the 1999 Constitution as amended, for the settlement of industrial disputes.

    “This is because every channel of negotiation, including the tripartite plus, in which eminent Nigerians participated in, failed.

    “We were left with no other option than to trigger Section 17 of the Trade Disputes Act .CAP T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, on dispute resolution mechanism in seeking the intervention of the National Industrial Court,’’ he said.

    “Now, ASUU has decided to obey the judgment of the NICN by calling off the devastating action.

    “We apologise to all students and parents, of which the minister is one, for this unduly prolonged strike, which is unwarranted ab initio,’’ he said.

    He gave the assurance that with the decision, steps and measures being taken by the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, in repositioning higher education, a groundwork is being laid.

    He added “we are confident that this will save Nigerians, this unpalatable experience of incessant strike in future.

    “It is verily our hope that now that the strike has been called off, the National Industrial Court will deal with the substantive issues as contained in the referral letter by the minister.

    “This is to ensure that justice is given to all parties, including ASUU and their employers – the Federal Ministry of Education which acts on behalf of the Federal Government,’’ he said.

    He further noted that the Ministry of Labour and Employment will continue to cooperate with both parties in finding amicable solution to other issues not placed before the industrial court.

    He said this will find a lasting solution to the instability in the university system,’’ he said.

  • ASUU directs members to resume immediately

    ASUU directs members to resume immediately

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has directed all its members to resume all services hitherto withdrawn with effect from 12:01 on Friday, 14th October 2022.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that this is contained in a statement released on Friday by ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke to officially call off the strike the union embarked on since February 14th.

    The National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU held an emergency meeting at the Comrade Festus lyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja, on Thursday, 13th October 2022 to review developments since the union declared an indefinite strike action on 29th August 2022.

    During the intervening period, the Minister of Labour and Employment, through a referral, approached the National Industrial Court (NIC) for the interpretation of “the provision of sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 18 (1) of the Trade Dispute Act, Cap T8 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, whether the on-going prolonged strike by ASUU, which started since 14th February, 2022 is legal even after statutory apprehension by the Minister of Labour and Employment?”

    In addition, the Minister asked for an interlocutory order against the continuation of the strike and the National Industrial Court in its wisdom gave an order compelling ASUU to resume work pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    “Given the nature of the order, and in the opinion of our counsel, there was the need to appeal the interlocutory injunction granted against our Union at the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal acknowledged the validity of the grounds of the Union’s appeal but still upheld the order of the lower court and ordered our Union to comply with the ruling of the lower court as condition precedent for the appeal to be heard,” Prof Osodeke stated in a communique issued after the NEC meeting.

    According to the statement, NEC noted the series of meetings with the leadership of the House of Representatives led by the Hon. Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as well as intervention efforts of other well-meaning Nigerians both within and outside government and the progress made so far.

    “NEC deliberated on the recommendations of the Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila-led Committee within the framework of the FGN/ASUU’s Memorandum of Action(MoA) of 2020 on the contending issues that led to the strike action. For the avoidance of doubt, the issues include: Funding for Revitalisation of public universities Earned Academic Allowances, Proliferation of public Universities, Visitation Panels/Release of White Papers, University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a broad spectrum software to stop illegality and provide for an alternative, payment platform in the university system, Renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement.

    “While appreciating the commendable efforts of the leadership of the House of Representatives and other patriotic Nigerians who waded into the matter, NEC noted with regrets that the issues in dispute are yet to be satisfactorily addressed.

    “However, as a law-abiding Union and in deference to appeals by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, and in recognition of the efforts of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and other well meaning Nigerians, ASUU NEC resolved to suspend the strike action embarked upon on 14th February 2022. Consequently, all members of ASUU are hereby directed to resume all services hitherto withdrawn with effect from 12:01 on Friday, 14th October, 2022,” the communique reads.

  • APC demands for Ngige to step-aside over refusal to endorse Tinubu

    APC demands for Ngige to step-aside over refusal to endorse Tinubu

    Murtala Ajaka, deputy national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has called for the resignation of the minister of labour and employment, Dr Chris Ngige, following failure to support the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

    Ajaka, who asked the minister to resign, was reacting to comments made by Ngige when he appeared on Politics Today, a programme of Channels Television.

    During the programme, when asked whether he would endorse Tinubu or back Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party, Ngige described the question as difficult.

    He said, “Both of them are my friends. My choice will be in the ballot box. Whether conscience or no conscience, on that day in February, I’ll have one vote.”

    Reacting to minister’s response, Ajaka, in a statement, criticised the minister over the remarks.

    In his words: “The presidential primary election had long ended and the party had settled for the choice of Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, hence all the party leaders should put their ambitions behind them for now to deliver the party’s presidential ticket.

    “It is expected of a serving minister in an APC government to be a trusted Apostle of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidency in 2023, who along with other party leaders laboured to ensure the enthronement of the same government in 2015 which they are now serving in.

    “Chief Ngige and other APC appointees, especially in the federal cabinet should not forget in a hurry that they are holding onto party’s mandate, hence the need to protect it with whatever it requires, but if they can no longer protect the interest of the APC in public and that of our presidential candidate (Tinubu), I think the honourable thing to do is to step aside from the government formed by the APC.

    “With this type of public comment from a sitting minister in a ruling party who cannot declare on national television his choice of a presidential candidate, how on earth is the party expected to fare in the forthcoming presidential election?”

  • Strike: FG cautions ASUU for disobeying court order

    Strike: FG cautions ASUU for disobeying court order

    The Federal Government has cautioned the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over disobeying the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) to call off its ongoing strike.

    Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, gave the advice in a statement signed by Mr Olajide Oshundun, the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, in the ministry on Sunday in Abuja.

    “The union is dishonest and misleading its members and the general public, that it has filed an appeal as well has a stay of execution of the order of NICN on Sept. 2, though it has none of this.

    “Rather, ASUU only filed an application for a permission to appeal the order. It also attached to the application, a proposed notice of appeal which it intends to file if the leave to appeal is granted.

    “The application for a stay of execution as of this moment has not even been listed for hearing. Where then is ASUU coming from?

    “It is therefore contemptuous, dishonest and misleading for the union to tell its members that it has not only appealed the interlocutory injunction by the NICN, directing it to call off strike and return to work, but that it also has a stay of execution,’’ he said.

    Ngige therefore described the new directive by ASUU, exhorting its members to continue with the action as an unwarranted lawlessness, noting that “the Federal Government strongly frowns at this”.

    The minister advised the striking lecturers to cease taking laws into its hands by directing its members to continue with the 8-month old strike.

    According to him, this is in defiance of the interlocutory injunction by the NICN which restrained the union from further action.

    He accused the leadership of the union of misinforming and misleading its members and warned of consequences of contempt of court order.

    Ngige reiterated government call to the union to respect the court order and return to work, while negotiations are concluded on the remaining issues in contention.

    The statement also denied reports that the minister walked out on the meeting between the House of Representatives and ASUU on Sept. 29.

    It said the minister left the meeting to attend to other pressing matters  with the permission of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, after making his presentation.

    It stated that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation was earlier granted such permission by the Speaker.

    The statement further recalled that at that meeting, Ngige addressed the two major issues over which ASUU is still on strike.

    It said, according to the minister, “on renegotiation of salaries and wages of lecturers, I sympathise with ASUU just like other Nigerian workers.

    “The economy is bad and hard time, biting hard on everybody. ASUU deserves no blame.

    “The Briggs Committee was the product of reconciliation of my ministry, which had to move to the ASUU’s direct employers  – Ministry of Education for a Collective Bargaining Agreement, so we can arrive on what is good to be paid to ASUU, subject to approval by the President

    “The President has a Presidential Committee on Salaries and Wages chaired by the Minister of Finance, with myself as co-chair and other members – National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Budget Office, etc.

    “Every MDA, whether drawing from the treasury or not, must pass through this committee on any issue concerning salaries for approval, before transmission to the President. The report of the Briggs Committee did not unfortunately pass this route.”

    It said that Ngige also revealed that when the issue of  payment platform – UTAS – came up, he persuaded the President to “give the platform a trial in the spirit of Executive Order 3 and 4, and the SGF supported me”.

    “If the system is good, we adopt it for the whole country, but meanwhile the hardware is not there. How do you do it?

    “The test – the three of them – IPPIS, UTAS, UPPPS – have failed the test. Do you recommend something that has failed a test? So, no matter how I love ASUU, I won’t support something that failed a test.’’

  • Nigeria @62: Royal fathers, Ngige , IPAC sue for peace, credible elections

    Nigeria @62: Royal fathers, Ngige , IPAC sue for peace, credible elections

    Royal fathers, the Minister of Labour and Employment,  Dr Chris Ngige and the Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC) have urged Nigerians across geo-political zones to embrace peace, remain hopeful and work towards achieving credible elections in 2023.

    They made the call on Saturday in Abuja on the occasion of Nigeria’s 62th Independence Day.

    Alhaji Adamu Yunusa, the Ona of Abaji and Chairman of the FCT Council of Traditional Rulers,  expressed gratitude to God for bringing the country this far.

    According to the ruler, it is only when a nation enjoys peace that it can progress, pointing out that although Nigeria is moving forward it is being hindered in some other ways by the chaos in the society.

    “I pray for God’s intervention in some of the difficulty areas such as the current ASUU strike, youth unemployment,  among others.

    “In this 2022 anniversary, we pray to Almighty Allah to help us in this country to solve some of the problems confronting us.

    “First and foremost, is the issue of unemployment of our youths who are roaming about and we pray that God will help us to solve it.

    Yunusa condemned the high level of corruption in the country and the insecurity, saying they were killing the entire system of governance and prayed God’s intervention.

    According to him, if Nigeria can solve the problem of corruption,  other problems will be solved, stressing that corruption is the major thing “killing the country,

    Yunusa appealed to Nigerians to strive for peaceful elections next year, devoid of chaos.

    Corroborating Yunusa’s views, Eze Chima of Umofor Kingdom in Imo said Nigeria was faring well except for the security challenges facing it.

    He advised Nigerians to avoid unnecessary hatred and bigotry but rather to develop love amongst themselves.

    “Where there is love, there will be peace and where there is peace, there will be development.

    “I have always told Nigerians that if at all we must fight, let us fight hunger, poverty, diseases, as these things do not know who is a Moslem or Christian, who is Igbo, Hausa, or Yoruba. In the same vein, if we must kill, let it be mosquitoes, ” he said.

    On the forthcoming general elections, Chima advised the candidates and their political parties to place emphasis on issues bothering the country and how they would solve them, if elected.

    Dr Chris Ngige , Minister of Labour and Employment, said that while the challenges facing Nigeria were not unique to it, the  government was working to tackle them.

    He expressed the hope that the current ASUU strike would soon be called off, adding “anything that has a beginning must have an end“.

    “We are coming at the end of the road, we are looking at negotiations and judicial interventions, ’’ he said.

    Mr Yabaji Sani, Chairman of the Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC) and the presidential candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP) said it was high time the nation got it right in all the sectors,  especially the 2023 elections.

    “It is our time to get it right in this country because Nigeria is great and the founding fathers of this country believed in this country. They knew we have what it takes in terms of resources, in terms of human capital.

    “ We have a dynamic youth population, we can see how passionate the youths have been since the beginning of this electioneering process.

  • Strike: Finally, FG accepts to accommodate ASUU’s peculiarities in IPPIS

    Strike: Finally, FG accepts to accommodate ASUU’s peculiarities in IPPIS

    Finally, the federal government (FG) has accepted to accommodate the peculiar allowances of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information Payment System (IPPIS).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the acting Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Okolieaboh Sylva disclosed this at a meeting of ASUU with the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr Chris Ngige and the leadership of the House of Representatives on Thursday in Abuja.

    Mr Sylva said that if there were peculiar allowances in ASUU’s pay, what needed to be done was to incorporate them into the platform, adding that the office of the Accountant General was willing to incorporate ASUU’s peculiarities.

    “Let us sit down and know what these issues are and address them inside IPPIS. We can correct whatever mistake we make now,” he said while expressing reservation over ASUU’s insistence on the incorporation of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) payment platform for its members.

    “If we accept what ASUU is saying, it will create room for everyone to be asking for their own payment platform, the military is on IPPIS and health workers, ASUU should sit down with us and see the progress we have made,” he said.

    Sylva said that the incorporation of ASUU’s demand on IPPIS platform could be done without President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval, adding that there was nothing complicated about the issue once ASUU agreed to the offer.

    “In the spirit of reconciliation, if ASUU knows what can be done, we are willing to adopt it to resolve this issue. It doesn’t make sense not to accept, let ASUU come to us, we are willing to accept. If we are going to adopt UTAS, that shows we are going to build the salaries of other civil servants to UTAS,” he said.

    Speaking, Dr Ngige said the federal government would not offer ASUU what it does not have, adding that the leadership of the union met with the President on January 9 with the hope of convincing the government to adopt the UTAS platform for lecturers’ salaries.

    “I told Mr President to let us give it a trial and I took it upon myself, I went to NITDA and other agencies and we looked at the system,” he said, adding that the platforms brought by ASUU failed the integrity test and that he couldn’t recommend the adoption of any of them, no matter the pressure.

    Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, President, ASUU, however, said it was unfortunate that Nigerians failed to understand how the university system operates.

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila appealed to ASUU to call off its ongoing strike. He added that the executive had spoken, just as the judiciary, and the legislature.

    “Everybody cannot be wrong. We are working according to everything we said in our last meeting, please in the interest of our children, we have called you in spite of the court ruling,” he said.

    On the issue of UTAS, Gbajabiamila said the report was with the lawmakers.

    “We are more or less working for you. There comes a time all conflicts come to an end. We will make our recommendation to the President. You have a very good case, the minister dropped a bombshell before he left but I didn’t pay attention.

    “I understand your feeling and emotion. You are not doing it for yourself but the enabling environment and the future of our children. Please let’s take it and get to the final destination,” he said.

  • BREAKING: Court orders ASUU to call off strike

    BREAKING: Court orders ASUU to call off strike

    The National Industrial Court has ordered the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off its seven months strike, ordering the striking lecturers to resume work.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that ASUU went on strike on 14th February 2022, leaving Nigerian students stranded in their academic pursuits, with a backlog of about two sessions.

    The Federal Government in a suit prayed for the order for ASUU to call off its seven months strike. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige filed the matter before the court on behalf of the Federal Government.

     

    Details shortly…

  • BREAKING: ASUU officially declares comprehensive, total, indefinite strike

    BREAKING: ASUU officially declares comprehensive, total, indefinite strike

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has transmuted the roll-over strike to a comprehensive, total and indefinite strike action beginning from 12.01 a.m. on Monday, 29th August, 2022.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the comprehensive, total and indefinite strike action by ASUU followed a meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC).

    The outcome of the meeting held at the Comrade Festus Iyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja on Sunday, 28th August, 2022 was conveyed by ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke in a statement.

    ASUU in the statement insisted that none of the issues that forced the strike in the first place have been addressed by the federal government.

    The statement titled ‘ASUU strikes are to save public universities’ reads: “The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) held an emergency meeting at the Comrade Festus Iyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja on Sunday, 28th August, 2022.

    “The meeting was called mainly to review developments since its last resolution that rolled over the nationwide strike action for another four weeks starting from 1st August, 2022.

    “NEC observed with regret that the Union had experienced a lot of deceit of the highest level in the last five and half years as the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) engaged ASUU in fruitless and unending negotiation without a display of utmost fidelity. In 2017, the Federal Government constituted a committee to renegotiate the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement under the chairmanship of Dr. Wale Babalakin. After three years of fruitless negotiation, Dr. Babalakin was replaced in December 2020 with Professor Emeritus Munzali Jibril.

    “The Renegotiation Committee produced and submitted a draft agreement to the Federal Government in May, 2021. It is sad that, until 14th February, 2022 when the ongoing strike commenced, the Federal Government made no significant efforts to either sign the agreement or commence implementation. It was only after the commencement of this strike that the Federal Government reconstituted the committee with Professor Emeritus Nimi Briggs appointed Chairman to lead the Government Team.

    “NEC recalled that, before meeting with our Union, the Nimi Briggs Committee confirmed to ASUU in writing that it was consulting with all relevant stakeholders in order to aggregate Government’s position/offer. After intensive bargaining, ASUU came to a compromise with the Professor Briggs-led Team  leading to the submission of the second Draft Agreement to the Federal Government in June, 2022 for consideration and approval for signing by the two parties within one week.

    “This was done in line with the principle of collective bargaining. Shortly after and against all expectations, however, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, and later his Minister of State, Festus Kayamo, alleged that the Union chased away representatives of government agencies and thereafter fixed unreasonable and unimplementable salary package for its members.

    “They claimed that the government would need to borrow 1.6 trillion Naira to implement the Draft Agreement;- a claim that is not only malicious but contrived to blackmail the Union. Subsequently, some miserable, unilateral, and insulting take-it or-leave-it offers of between N30, 000 and N60,000 monthly salary were thrown at the Union. This was obviously an attempt to abrogate the principle of collective bargaining which has guided ASUU engagements with Federal Government since 1981.

    “NEC noted that ASUU and other well-meaning Nigerians have expressed serious disappointment by and consternation on the attitude of the Government conveyed by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who had deliberately misinformed the public and reduced the current struggle of ASUU to the payment of withheld salaries, claiming that all other contentious issues had been resolved.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, however, none of the issues that forced our Union to resume the suspended strike as listed in the December 2020 FGN-ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA) has been satisfactorily addressed by the Government to date.

    “The draft renegotiated FGN-ASUU Agreement (second draft) remains unsigned; the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) has not been adopted and deployed to replace the discredited Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS); and the White Papers on Visitation Panels to Federal Universities, if ready as claimed by Government more than six months ago, are nowhere to be found.

    “Similarly, Government has not delivered on the promised balance of one tranche of the Revitalization Fund more than one year after, the outstanding two tranches of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) have not been released; and nothing has since happened on the support for amendment to the Law of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to stem the tide of proliferation of universities especially by the State Governments.

    “NEC was utterly disappointed in agents of Government, especially the Minister of Education, for the deliberate falsehood and misrepresentation of facts aimed at scoring cheap political gains. It is disheartening to imagine that a Minister whose responsibility it is to resolve the crisis can overnight turn round to lead in this ignoble enterprise of distorting facts and misleading Nigerians.

    “The disdain with which the Minister of Education handled questions about the ongoing ASUU strike at his distasteful Press Conference on Thursday, 18th August, 2022 lends credence to the widespread suspicion that the current Government never believed in saving public universities from the misfortunes that have befallen Nigeria’s public primary and secondary schools.

    “NEC noted with delight that, in defence of the integrity of the process leading to the agreement reached with government, the Briggs Committee has, in a well- publicized newspaper advertorial, confirmed that all the proposals and recommendations it made to ASUU were properly discussed and cleared with their Principal.

    “The Committee also confirmed that throughout the renegotiation process, all the relevant government agencies, including National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Budget and Finance and Federal Character Commission (FCC), were in attendance.

    “In addition, the paid advert by the Briggs-led Government Team equally showed that the figure of N1.1 Trillion quoted by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, and his Minister of State, Festus Keyamo, and some other government officials as amount needed to implement the salary increase, came from some imaginative blues and was no way close to reality.

    “We commend members of Nimi Briggs-led Team for their unprecedented act of courage. By this singular act, the Team has put the lie to official propaganda against ASUU and the entire renegotiation process. May this race of Nigerians multiply!

    “NEC observed with displeasure that some mischievous Vice-Chancellors and Chairpersons of Governing Councils of State Universities have evolved disingenuous underhand tactics to undermine the current ASUU struggle in their various Universities.

    “ASUU struggles are to save Nigerian public universities irrespective of ownership – Federal or State. The Union views with all seriousness the fact that the sanctimonious behaviour of these university administrators and managers does not stop them from accessing yearly grants of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) which ASUU struggles of the 1980s and 1990s brought to life.

    “Neither did their holier-than-thou attitude keep these invidious individuals from jumping into the next flight to come for project defence each time ASUU struggles had translated into some handsome funds for the revitalization of their universities (hostels, laboratories, workshops, lecture theatres, etc.).

    “ASUU shall use all legitimate means at its disposal to protect and defend the interests of our members in public universities who may be victimised on the account of the ongoing struggles.

    “ASUU NEC noted with pains, its concerns for Nigerian students who are also our wards and foster children and condemned Government’s seeming indifference to their plights.

    “The Union empathizes with the students, their parents, as well as other stakeholders (including our colleagues who are undertaking their higher degrees) in the universities.

    “ASUU reaffirms its belief in the sanctity of a stable academic system. Were it within our control, our universities would never have been shut for one day! However, ASUU was forced into taking this painful decision to prevent members of the Nigerian  ruling class and their foreign collaborators from further destroying whatever is left of our public universities.

    “We are all victims. We need the understanding, solidarity and sacrifices of all to ensure that every qualified Nigerian youth who cannot afford the cost of private university education or foreign studies has unhindered access to quality university education.

    “ASUU strikes are aimed at saving public education, and ensuring that Governments (Federal and State) use our common patrimony to support quality public university education. This is our collective obligation.

    “NEC acknowledged with appreciation past and current efforts by eminent Nigerians and groups to mediate in the lingering crisis. Our Union remains open to reasonable engagements we have always done.

    “However, ASUU remains focused on the full implementation of the 23rd December, 2020 Memorandum of Action for quick restoration of industrial harmony in Nigeria’s public universities.

    “In view of the foregoing, and following extensive deliberations on Government’s response to the resolution of 14th February, 2022 so far, NEC concluded that the demands of the Union had not been satisfactorily addressed.

    “Consequently, NEC resolved to transmute the roll-over strike to a comprehensive, total and indefinite strike action beginning from 12.01a.m. on Monday, 29th August, 2022. Thank you”.

  • BREAKING: Electricity workers suspend strike

    BREAKING: Electricity workers suspend strike

    Electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) have suspended their industrial strike action.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the electricity workers under NUEE embarked on the strike on Wednesday, shutting down the national grid to press home their demands.

    The federal government immediately summoned an emergency meeting with the electricity workers after they shut down the national grid, throwing the nation into darkness.

    It was gathered that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige succeeded in reaching a truce with the electricity workers for them to suspend the strike.

    TNG reports that the electricity workers embarked on the strike in protest against the directive by the board of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) that all Principal Managers in acting capacity going to Acting General Manager must appear for a promotion interview.

    The General Secretary of NUEE, Mr Joe Ajaero, had in a statement explained that the directive was in contravention of the workers’ conditions of service and career progression paths, and alleged that it was unilaterally done without the relevant stakeholders.

    Other issues raised include stigmatisation of staff from the office of the Head of Service of the Federation from working in other areas in the power sector, and non-payment of December 2019 entitlement of ex-PHCN staff.

    Following deliberations at the meeting that lasted for three hours with the Minister of Labour and Employment, the electricity workers union agreed to suspend the strike for two weeks.

    ALSO READ || We are set to restore the national grid – TCN’s GM, Public Affairs

    The workers expressed optimism that the government will listen to the voice of reasoning and prioritise their welfare and wellbeing.

  • NLC protesters mock Ngige with picture of Okija Shrine banner

    NLC protesters mock Ngige with picture of Okija Shrine banner

    Some protesters were seen carrying a banner in mockery of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, on Wednesday in Abuja at the ongoing protest organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

    An official of the ASUU who spoke to our correspondent said they were carrying the banner as a form of protest against the Labour Minister over his inability to resolve the issues between the federal government and ASUU, and for his last Wednesday’s statement concerning the ongoing protest.

    He said, “We’re mocking Dr Chris Ngige with this banner because he was against the protest despite not being able to convince the Federal Government for over five months to resolve the issues with ASUU, and also for speaking against the protest last week.”

    The NLC had threatened to go on a two-day protest on July 26 and 27 in solidarity with the strike by the ASUU.

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    ASUU had been on strike since February 14, with parties involved running into gridlock over issues bordering on funding universities, as well as on salaries and allowances of lecturers.

    But speaking with journalists last Wednesday, Ngige said it was against international labour practice for the congress to embark on such a protest.

    The minister said the NLC has representatives in the negotiation with ASUU, adding that the congress is privy to all discussions with the university lecturers’ union.

    He said, “It is a very incongruous situation I must tell you. Why? NLC is on the table of the discussion. They are there. I invited them as the head of the federation to which ASUU belongs, to which SSANU belongs, to which NAAT belongs.

    “I invited them. And so, they are on the table as their senior partner. That’s one. Two, we have a National Labour Advisory Council inaugurated in January 2021. It is an ILO instrument, an ILO architecture for labour unions, governments, and the private sector to come together at any given time.

    “So, we’ve just finished our meeting in March, and this issue was tabled before them. And the NLC is in NLAC, the National Labour Advisory Council, and much more importantly, the head of NLC, Nigeria, has an affiliate of workers federation, world over called International Trade Union Congress.

    “So, I will be surprised if he’s going ahead with his NEC to do a demonstration, knowing fully well that that is not permissible in international labour parlance.”