Buhari Didn’t Ask me to Hands Off Talks with ASUU – Ngige
The four university unions that have been on strike are the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions, NASU and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT.
READ ALSO: Buhari Orders Ngige to Step Down from Ongoing Negotiation with ASUU
On the whether the two weeks directive by the President to resolve the issue was realistic, the labour minister said he proposed one week to resolve the issue but the Minister of Education Adamu Adamu volunteered to resolve the issues with ASUU in two weeks.
Ngige, who said he hoped the issue would be resolved at the stipulated time, advised the unions to table their case before the Ministry of Education whom the President had directed to resolve the issue.
Buhari Orders Ngige to Step Down from Ongoing Negotiation with ASUU
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, to hands off negotiations with the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Mr Buhari, who gave the directive during a briefing by the heads of the various concerned ministries, departments and agencies of government on Tuesday in Abuja, also okayed the suggestion by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to take over the negotiations.
Mr Adamu was said to have complained to the gathering the reason behind his prolonged silence on the matter, saying his labour and employment counterpart had since 2016 argued “that only the labour ministry has the mandate to negotiate with striking workers unions in Nigeria.”
