ASUU Strike: Ngige Speaks On Varsities Reopening Next Month

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has assured students that academic activities in public universities across the country will resume next month, January 2021.

AllNews gathered that Ngige made this known on Monday while speaking during the launch of Ngige's free medical outreach at the Community’s Health Center in Alor, Idemili South local government area of Anambra State.

He said negotiations between the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal government had reached 98 percent, just remaining only two percent to be completed between the two groups.

He added that parties will be back at the negotiating table today to resume discussions on the special assignment given to both sides at the last meeting.

According to him, “We have met about 98 percent of the request of ASUU. Some 5 to 2 percent is what you can call promissory notes.

“So, I am very hopeful that by midnight today, there are some works we are supposed to get on to do. They also have some work they are supposed to do on their own side with their people.

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“Tuesday, we will meet in the afternoon and we will compare notes. We will put everything on the table and compare. I believe that we might have come to the end of the strike when we meet tomorrow.

"Well, it is a journey of a thousand miles which you will have to take one step first. Tomorrow, all things being equal, we will agree now to agree because we were disagreeing before."

Meanwhile, the National President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi said that the union would respond to the minister’s assurance soon.

When asked the union's response to Ngige’s claim that universities would resume in January, next year, Ogunyemi wrote in a WhatsApp message: “ASUU shall respond appropriately by Wednesday, 23 December."

Confirming Tuesday's meeting, he said: “Yes, we are meeting tomorrow but I can’t speak further till Wednesday when I will be able to tell you if we will suspend the strike or not.”

This online news platform recalls that ASUU has been on strike since March and yet to resume.