By ASUU Strike Update: FG plans to avoid strike action, sets meeting with ASUU on Friday
Leshi Adebayo
Following the strike threat made by ASUU and SSANU in June 2021, the Federal Government of Nigeria has been making plans to ensure that the strike action is not a reality. Hence, measures are being put in place to persuade members of the academia not to proceed on any strike.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) given the moves by the Federal Government will meet the FG tomorrow, 30, July 2021 to avoid strike action in federal varsities. Professor Emmanuel Sodeke, ASUU National President made this known to journalists that the Ministry of Labour has invited the union to discuss the Memorandum of Action (MOA) signed with the FG in December, last year.
He further disclosed that the union will agree on being specific with its allegations against the Presidency for violating the contents of the MOA.
According to Osodeke, the last time ASUU met with the FG was between March and April. He made it known that Dr Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour was behind the invitation to Friday’s meeting.
In Osodeke’s words, he said, “Three weeks ago, we met with the Minister of Labour, who said we should give him two weeks and he has finally invited us to a meeting on Friday. The spokesman for the Ministry of Education, Goon, has hatred for this union; he just pushes out lies without consulting. Ask him when you see him, has the ministry ever invited us since the MOA was signed to say they have done this and couldn’t do that?”.
Conclusively, he added that “I have not mentioned strike; what we have said is that we have issues, which the Federal Government has not resolved and I hope that they will resolve them before the next ASUU NEC meeting in August, where we will decide on what to do. I have not used the word strike. It is when NEC meets that we will decide on what to do, but it seems that the press and Nigerians always interpret it as a strike.”
