Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has allegedly asked Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, to step down from negotiating with the ASUU regarding the prolonged strike by union members.
The President ordered this in a meeting with the leaders of ministries and federal agencies entangled in the negotiation procedure in Abuja on Tuesday, July 19.
The leaders of ASUU have blamed Chris Ngige for being a block towards the progress of the negotiation and misinforming the President.
Therefore, the Minister’s role in the matter regarding the continuous ASUU strike has been limited to that of a conciliator, who will pry on the issue only when required.
This is as per Mallam Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education was directed by the Nigerian President to take up negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
President Buhari allegedly ordered the Education Minister to ensure the matter between ASUU and the Federal Government is resolved in two to three weeks.
Adamu was also asked to engage the National Salaries and Wages Commission to manage the payment details for the striking teachers under ASUU.
A source, whose name was not revealed, stated the President did not order the Education Minister to solve the issue within this time frame; instead, the Minister suggested its possibility in the indicated time.
The President never asked the Minister to end the strike and resolve the issue in two or three weeks, and it was the Minister himself who suggested the possibility of ending the crisis within two to three weeks.
The source recounted that the education minister stated he distanced himself from these negotiations after the position taken earlier in 2016 or thereabouts when an identical matter was raised, and the labour minister stated that it was his duty to take over negotiation and also quoted some ILO provisions.
