Latest report reaching our news desk today is that the federal government has offered the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the sum of sixty-five billion Naira (N65bn) to resolve the ongoing strike which has lasted for 10 months.
According to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, who made the proposal to the striking lecturers today Friday, November 20th in FCT Abuja, and is the one representing the Nigerian government in this dialogue with ASUU.
Recommended: Latest ASUU Strike Update Today November 2020.
Dr. Chris Ngige disclosed that the negotiation between the federal government and ASUU leaders was fruitful, as the government has decided to shift grounds on the lingering issues that have kept students out of the classroom for 10 months now.
The minister of Labour and Employment told reporters that the Accountant-General of the Federation ( AGF) has offered to release the sum of N40 billion or in the alternative, N35 billion to be shared by all the registered Trade Unions in the universities after providing necessary evidence of having earned the allowance.
He said and I quote below;
“The Federal Government reiterated that her offer of N40 billion or 35 billion whichever is accepted by ASUU was for all the universities unions: ASUU had proposed that N40 billion be paid immediately for all unions.”
Dr. Chris asked all vice-chancellors to submit details of the EAA/EA to the National Universities Commission (NUC) on or before November 30th, added that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Federal Ministry of Education will review the issue of “no work, no pay” as stipulated in Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act Cap T8 laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 with a view to getting approval for the withheld salaries to be paid.
We’re keeping our fingers crossed and hope that after November 30th, everything will be okay, and the ASUU strike will be called off.
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