The Minister Of Labour and Education Still Heading Talks With ASUU

The Minister Of Labour and Education Still Heading Talks With ASUU

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has said that the ongoing negotiation between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities is still being handled by its minister and his counterpart in the ministry of education.

The ministry’s Deputy Director in charge of Press, Mr. Samuel Olowookere, gave the clarification in a statement issued on Saturday.

He explained that speculations of uncertainty over the ongoing talks between the government and ASUU were not true.

Olowookere added that the meeting which held at the office of the Vice President was to consolidate the negotiations with ASUU.

He noted that the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, and Dr. Chris Ngige, decided to hold a meeting with the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo,  on the issue after the Federal Executive Council’s meeting on Wednesday.

He said, “The Vice President has not taken over the matter. The meeting held in his office was in consolidation of negotiations.  Engagement of the striking ASUU members is still being handled by the ministers of labour and employment and that of education.

“Issues of strike by an employee is a labour matter.  The minister of labour and employment is therefore synergising with his education counterpart to resolve the dispute.

“Just as the minister led negotiation with the National Association of Resident Doctors in conjunction with the Minister of Health, the same applies in the case of ASUU.

“As a matter of fact,  the minister of education reported progress on the issue  to the Federal Executive Council and together with the labour minister, held  a meeting with the vice president subsequently.

“This is a normal procedure in government where ministers report to the president or vice president to streamline efforts and gains  in a given assignment.

“But that does not mean that such assignment is no more being handled by the minister charged with the responsibility.”

Olowookere added that the statement by Ngige that the government’s negotiation team was to hold a meeting with the Vice President was misinterpreted by reporters to mean that Osinbajo had taken over the negotiation.

“It was reporters that interpreted it to mean the vice president had taken over the negotiation,” the statement noted.