There seems to be no end in sight to the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities as the Federal Government says it is still studying the fresh demands made by the union. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, disclosed this on Wednesday while responding to an enquiry by one of our correspondents who asked if a date had been fixed for a meeting between the Federal Government and ASUU.
Ngige, who responded through an SMS, said, “No. Government side is still studying their new demands with the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as mandated by the Federal Executive Council.” Although both the Federal Government and ASUU failed to disclose the fresh demands by the university teachers, there were reports on Wednesday that the union asked the Federal Government to pay the shortfall in salaries in the universities. The reports also indicated that the union wanted universities to manage their internally generated revenue and grant a waiver to Universities Pension Management Company.
Ngige said the government would ensure that an agreement was reached so that the striking university teachers could return to work. “We are hopeful that we will be able to go to an appreciable extent to solve some of the outstanding issues that are preventing them from going back to work.” Meanwhile, Ngige announced that the National Minimum Wage Committee on the government’s side had been constituted with four ministers as members. Although he said the chairman had been nominated, Ngige said the nominee would only be unveiled after all members of the committee had been named.
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