BREAKING: ASUU Rejects FG’s Offer, Debunks Ngige’s Claim That Their Meeting Was Fruitful

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said that it has rejected the Federal Government’s call to call off the ongoing strike action.

This was revealed through a statement on its Facebook page early morning on Friday May 13, 2022.

The statement titled; “OUTCOME OF YESTERDAY’S ASUU-FG MEETING” referred to the meeting the union had with the Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahum Gambari and the Minister of Labour and Employment.

In the statement, ASUU said although the President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke refused to speak with journalist, there was nothing new in the meeting except that the government team wanted them to call off the strike for a period of time which they rejected.

The statement went ahead to debunk a statement made by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, where he told journalists after the meeting that it was fruitful.

“But the Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige who spoke to journalists after the meeting claimed the negotiations were fruitful.

The Minister was quoted to have said: “We have reached some agreements and we hope that by next week, those agreements will be maturing and the different unions will have something to tell their members, so that they can call off the strike,” the statement read in part.

“We have put some timelines for some aspects like renegotiation of 2009 agreement in terms of condition of service and wage review. So, we are hopeful that by next weekend, the unions will see a conclusion of that area”.

ASUU and other unions had met with Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, on Thursday in a major move by the Federal Government to call of the ongoing strike action.

The meeting which was chaired by the Chief of Staff had had in attendance the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Samson Ayokunle.

It was held at the banquet hall of the State House in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Also at the meeting were the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osedeke, Presidents of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff of Union of Universities among others.

The Chief of Staff informed the gathering that the meeting was under the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari who he says is concerned about the strike action and its impact on the Nigerian students.