Chris Ngige, the minister of labor and employment, has not responded to questions regarding the Federal Government’s intentions to put an end to the current Academic Staff Union of Universities strike action.
According to reports, Ngige has always referred to himself as the minister of reconciliation between trade unions and their employer ministries. He has been at the forefront of negotiations between the striking university lecturers.
ASUU began taking part in industrial action on Monday, February 14, 2022, in protest of what they claimed was the government’s disregard for their unmet demands.
ASUU-FGN 2009 agreement renegotiation, implementation of the University Transparency Accountability System for the payment of academics’ salaries and benefits, publishing of the white paper report of the visitation panels to universities, and other demands are just a few of the demands made.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, had informed the academics on strike on Monday that enough was enough and that they should stop their strike in the interest of the next generation.
A move that the lecturers on strike regarded as psychological.
The strike, which began on February 14, 2022, has already lasted 148 days.
Academic activities in tertiary institutions have been suspended, similar to the strike that took place in 2020 and was the longest strike in the history of Nigerian universities.
