Strike: I Do Not See Why ASUU Should Not Accept New Offer, Says Ngige

Following the new offer presented by the Federal Government to Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has expressed optimism about the hopes of the academic body accepting the offer and ending the long stretched 8-month strike.

However, Ngige has further urged ASUU to speed up its deliberations with its members in order to return for what might be the concluding negotiation which would be held on Friday.

In his words: “I feel that even this offer is one of the best they have ever gotten since I started conciliation with them. I do not see why they should not accept it. Everything they asked for has been granted. I don’t think they should say the offer is not good.

“But I told them before they left that asking the nation and the students to wait from Friday to Friday is unfair, they should come back to us by Tuesday. They have done that before when we negotiated with the Senate President. The offer was made on a Thursday and they came back to us on a Tuesday.

“So, that’s what I expect them to do this time around. If they do so, the nation will appreciate them and regard them as patriotic citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I expect them to get back to me much earlier than Friday,” the minister, who spoke on an Arise TV interview monitored by The PUNCH, said.

According to Punch last Friday, the Federal Government accepted the demands rolled out by ASUU and could exempt ASUU from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

However, more information was provided that not all ASUU members would be exempted. In fact, the Federal Government has disclosed that only ASUU members who have not been enrolled into IPPIS would be exempted.

READ ALSO: ASUU Reduces Demands From N110bn To N50bn Fund

Other positive signs of an eventual end to the strike were evident as the government also offered to increase the Earned Allowances to university staff from N30 billion to N35b and the Revitalization Fund from N20b to N25b.

This positive development came after a series of negotiations and disagreements between the FG and ASUU after the academic body had earlier proposed the University Transparency and Accountability Solution as its preferred payment platform.

Ngige had in the previous meeting, held in Abuja, stated that the government was willing and committed to paying salary arrears of ASUU members from February to June through the old salary payment platform, Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System.

The breakthrough after series of unproductive meetings and negotiations is expected to end the eight-month strike embarked on by the university lecturers as parents and students now look forward to what could be the last ASUU-FG meeting as regards the strike.