The Federal Government has once again, strongly disclosed its commitment to renegotiating the terms and conditions of employment for all employees represented by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in Nigeria.
Speaking on the ASUU strike on Monday, April 11, in FCT Abuja, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, received members of the government side of the re-negotiation committee for the 2009 Federal Government/University Based Unions Agreement, led by its Chairman, Prof. Nimi Briggs.
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The minister for Labour and Employment disclosed that as a conciliator, he has been working hard to ensure that everything in the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which was agreed upon between the Buhari-led government administration and the Academic Staff Union of Universities is executed and carried out, including the renegotiated positions.
Dr. Chris Ngige never let it slide that this renegotiation did commence in 2017 with the inauguration of the Federal Government. COVID-19 struck in 2020, with a committee led by Wale Babalakin SAN, who was later replaced by Prof. Munzali Jibril.
The minister said and I quote below:
“I started pushing to see that things were done. What the Munzali committee came up with is a proposal. Both Munzali and ASUU did not sign. At our last meeting, which was held in February 2022, before ASUU proceeded on the first four weeks’ strike, we said everyone should go back to his principal.
”Several times, I have asked the Education sector what they did with the document. We later got information on areas of disagreement between ASUU and the Federal government. There is nothing wrong with that. It is bound to happen before both parties can reach an agreement. I told ASUU to put up a committee for renegotiation, they replied that the Munzali committee had expired.
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