ASUU Strike: Adamu, Ngige In A Fix As Osinbajo Disowns Them On Mediation

By Matthew Don
Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and his counterpart in Education, Adamu Adamu appear to have been left in the lurch and in a fix as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo insists Ngige and Adamu paddle their canoe in the ongoing Federal Government mediation with members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who have been on strike since August 13.
ASUU embarked on strike, August 13, to protest the failure of the government to implement a 2009 agreement and 2013 memorandum of understanding (MoU) it reached with the union.
ASUU is asking government to pay its members their earned allowances and to increase funding for universities.
After the union’s meeting with Ngige on Wednesday, August 30, the minister allegedly told newsmen that Osinbajo will henceforth led the mediation with ASUU.
But Osinbajo took serious exception to the claim, saying nothing could be further from the truth.
The Vice President’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, spokesman said his principal has not taken over negotiation with the ASUU.
In a statement he issued on Friday, Akande said Ngige was still in charge of the negotiation.
Though he said Osinbajo had a meeting with Ngige and Adamu Adamu, minister of education during the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting on the issue, Osinbajo had not taken over.
Akande said: “News reports that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, is now leading federal government negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is inaccurate.
“Media reports seemed to have misrepresented what labour and employment minister, Dr Chris Ngige meant when he spoke with reporters about the negotiations after the federal executive council meeting on Wednesday.
“The vice-president had a discussion after FEC with both the labour minister and education minister Mallam Adamu Adamu around the issues, but has not taken over the negotiations as widely reported. Both ministers will continue to lead the FG- ASUU talks.
“The federal government continues to diligently pursue a prompt resolution of this dispute and is confident the matter would be resolved.”