The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has once again, took a jab at the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, over his failure to resolve the ongoing crisis in the tertiary education sector in Nigeria.
This is according to a statement jointly signed by the branch Chairperson of ASUU, Usmanu Danfodiyo University (UDUS), Sokoto, M.N Al-Mustapha and the branch Secretary, S.A, Sadiku.
Recall, ASUU strike which began strike on February 14, 2022, before Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Educational Institutions (NASU) National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) joined, entered its sixth month in the night of July 14.
Earlier, President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke had said Chris Ngige, minister of labour, and others assigned in negotiating with the union over its ongoing strike are those misinforming President Muhammadu Buhari.
In the new development, the union said Ngige’s tenure has recorded the highest number of strike actions, and asked Buhari to call the minister to order “before his lies further plunge this nation into serious crisis.”
The statement partly read, “The attention of ASUU, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto Branch, has been drawn to an interview granted to Arise TV by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, on July 14, 2022. In the said interview, he characteristically (as always) misinformed and disinformed Nigerians about the actual state of the ASUU-FGN reconciliation efforts
In part of his remarks, Dr. Ngige pitiably and shamefully stated, in quote “Medical lecturers are at work, they are teaching. Sokoto has graduated their medical students, they are reasonable people, they have tested the strike, and saw that it produces no result, yes they did it the last time.
“So, today, they have written, their Vice Chancellor has approved that they are at work. The labour controllers in those states have also confirmed that they are at work and I have advised the Finance Minister and they are processing their payments.”
This is to categorically and unequivocally inform the public and those concerned that these are all in the imagination of the Minister. This intentional misinformation and treachery against the sensibility of Nigerians, is already known to many as the characteristics of Dr. Ngige. His manner of narrative during the interview depicts his inhumane nature and wanton disregard for truth, honesty and integrity, a character unbefitting of a Federal Minister.
“The question at this juncture is, how many of such untrue statements has he told the President about the negotiations and how will he continue to tell such fabricated stories before Nigerians? What would be the magnitude of damage he has caused the education system of this nation by such ‘unstatesmanly’ comments? Is Dr. Ngige not aware that it does not add up that the said lecturers have done their job, yet they have not been paid their salaries for such job, or is he cunningly portraying his government as an unfair one?
It should, however, be on record that such dangerous precedence of falsehood without emotion, typical of “Conciliator” Dr. Ngige has made him the worst Minister of Labour ever in the history of Nigerian labour relations. His antics, biasness and wickedness have earned him the highest number of strike actions during his tenure and have surpassed his predecessors with the highest number of unresolved disputes and conflicts. Dr Ngige, by attitude, succeeded in misleading all the critical stakeholders in the current struggle into believing that the issue at stake is unsolvable.
“He has also succeeded in degrading his professional status and the position he occupies, while his colleagues in the medical profession are doing wonderfully well, both in Nigeria and in the diaspora.
“We, therefore, call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to as a matter of urgency, take necessary action and call Ngige to order before his lies further plunge this nation into serious crisis.
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