ASUU strike in Nigeria will soon come to an end – Ngige

TRACKING__The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has stated that the issues causing the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike is close to being resolved.

Speaking on Tuesday, September 29 during an interview on Channels Television’s, Ngige assured that the Ministries of Finance, Education, Labour and Employment and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation will meet with the body.

“The issue of ASUU will soon come to an end,” he said.

“Two reasons – ASUU have called the Federal Government represented by Finance and the Accountant-General Office and their direct employers, the Ministry of Education to come for the test.

“We are ready to do that. After the independence day celebration, the four ministries and agencies involved will gather together with ASUU. We will look at the UTAS. If there are shortcomings with IPPIS as complained which UTAS have corrected. What’s wrong about it? It is software, we will look at it.

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“Secondly, ASUU members have been collecting their money since COVID-19 came and I wrote a memo to Mr president that ASUU members are still Nigerians. Even the members, have families that they care for. By upper week, we are going to arrange for this demonstration.”

Daily Times reports that Ngige’s remarks come three days after the union said it had not called off its nationwide industrial action which started in March.

According to ASUU Vice President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the strike is still in force until the Federal Government meets their demands.

The Union had during a press conference on March 23, announced the nationwide strike, adding that the union rejected the use of force to enrol on Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS).