Ngige Commends Nigerians as ASUU Ends Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities’ protracted strike has been apologised for by the federal government to students and their parents (ASUU).

The Minister of Labor and Employment, Chris Ngige, assured students that they wouldn’t have to deal with the unpleasant situation again in a statement on Friday.

The strike, which was in its right month, was used to send home the demands of the union of which poor welfare of its members, amongst others, was listed. The union, however, decided to suspend the strike during a meeting of its leadership that started on Thursday night and lasted into the early hours of Friday after a Court of Appeal ruling last week.

Ngige thanked individuals who cooperated with the government to break the impasse in his message, saying the industrial action was never justified in the first place.

Read the full statement: 

 PRESS STATEMENT  14/10/2022

Ngige Commends Nigerians as ASUU ends strike.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has expressed gratitude to all Nigerians who participated in various ways in the negotiations leading to the calling off  of the eight-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Nigeria(ASUU)

A statement by the Deputy Director Press in the Ministry, Olajide Oshundun, Friday assured Nigerians that with the steps the federal government is taking, Nigerian students would be saved from the unpalatable experience of intermittent, prolonged industrial actions in future.

“In a special way, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, expresses gratitude to the Honourable  Speaker,  Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the leadership of the House of Representatives.

“We particularly recognise patriotic efforts of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, the former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Supo Ayokunle,  all members of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) and the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria whose wisdom and intervention raised a ray of hope while the strike was at infancy but for ASUU’sintransigence to negotiation.

“We were forced to migrate the matter to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) created by the 1999 Constitution as amended to settle industrial disputes because every channel of negotiation, including the tripartite plus, in which eminent Nigerians participated failed.  We were left with no other option than to trigger Section 17 of the Trade Disputes Ac. CAP T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 on dispute resolution mechanism in seeking the intervention of the National Industrial Court.

“ Now that ASUU has decided to obey the judgement of the National Industrial Court by calling off the devastating action, we apologise to all students and parents, of which the Honorable Minister is one, for this unduly prolonged strike, which is unwarranted ab initio.

“We wish to assure that with the decision, steps and measures being taken by the current administration of  President Muhammadu Buhari, in the holistic repositioning of higher education, groundwork is being laid, of which we are confident will save Nigerians, this unpalatable experience of the incessant strike in future.

“ It is verily our hope that now that the strike has been called off, the National Industrial Court will deal with the substantive issues as contained in the referral letter by the Honourable Minister. This is  to ensure that justice is given to all parties, including ASUU and their employers- the Federal Ministry of Education who acts on behalf of  the Federal Government.”

The statement further noted that the Ministry of Labour and Employment would continue to cooperate with both parties in finding an amicable solution to other issues not placed before the industrial court in finding a lasting solution to the instability in the university system.

“ We certainly can’t be less grateful to the judiciary  for deepening our labour jurisprudence in upholding the essence of the 3rdalteration of the 1999 Constitution, especially as it relates to Sections 243 and 254A.”

Olajide Oshundun

Deputy Director Press and Public Relations