Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has expressed confidence that the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) would soon be suspended.
According to Ngige, the Federal Government was preparing a high-powered delegation from the ministries of Finance, Education, Labour and Employment and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) to meet with the union to resolve the crisis.
The minister disclosed this during an appearance on Channels Television on Tuesday evening, saying that the meeting would hold after the 60th Independence celebrations.
Recall that ASUU had rejected FG’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and proposed the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) for endorsement.
Ngige said, “The issue of ASUU will soon come to an end. Two reasons – ASUU have called the Federal Government, represented by Finance and the Accountant-General Office and their direct employers, the Ministry of Education to come for the test.
“We are ready to do that. After the Independence Day celebration, the four ministries and agencies involved will gather together with ASUU. We will look at the UTAS.
“ If there are shortcomings with IPPIS as complained which UTAS have corrected. What’s wrong about it? It is software, we will look at it.
“Secondly, ASUU members have been collecting their money since COVID-19 came and I wrote a memo to Mr President that ASUU members are still Nigerians.
“Even the members have families that they care for. By upper week, we are going to arrange for this demonstration.”
