The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has refused to attend a meeting with the Federal Government yesterday.
ASUU President, Biodun Ogunyemi, confirmed to Channels Television that the union will not attend the meeting.
According to him, ASUU has met, discussed the new offer from the FG and submitted a proposal to the government.
He said consequently, the union will only honour another meeting after receiving a reply to their proposal from the government.
The meeting was confirmed in a statement issued by the Deputy Director, Press, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Samuel Olowookere, late on Monday, which was called by Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, following the failure of ASUU to get back to the Federal Government after both parties met on August 17, 2017.
Others expected at today’s meeting were; the Ministers of Education and Finance, Mallam Adamu Adamu and Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the Chairman, National Income Salaries, and Wages Commission, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission and the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Ayuba Wabba.
The Union declared an indefinite strike two weeks ago, citing the failure of the government to implement agreements reached with the union in 2009.
The National President of the union, Dr. Biodun Ogunyemi, announced this at a meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU in Abuja.
He said during the strike, there shall be no teaching, no examination and no attendance of statutory meetings of any kind in any of the union’s branches across the country.
Dr. Ogunyemi declared a ‘total, comprehensive and indefinite’ nationwide strike after a nationwide consultation with members at an emergency NEC meeting held on Saturday, August 12, 2017.
He explained in a statement issued after Saturday’s meeting that their decision followed the failure of the government to fully implement the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement and the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The ASUU president added that related demands made by the union were yet to be addressed, which was why they resolved to embark on an indefinite strike from Sunday, August 13, 2017.
In reaction, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige on Tuesday said: “ASSU got back to us but that was late yesterday – this meeting had been scheduled before then and ASUU got back to the government saying that they needed us to deliberate on their counter offer before we can have a formalized meeting and we acceded to that because we think we had to do a government side meeting on their offer before we then have a reconciliation meeting to further discuss if there are other areas of disagreement”.
He, however assured the union that the issues will be discussed during the Federal Executive Council meeting, to reschedule negotiations with the striking lecturers.
Source – Channels TV.
