The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has lambasted the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, for failing to keep his promise to invite the union to a meeting on Thursday, June 24, 2023.
The union wondered how the Federal Government, especially Nigige, would expect to be trusted when the usually fail to keep promises.
Recall that Ngige had after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, told newsmen he would be meeting with ASUU to continue discussions about the lingering strike embarked on by university lecturers.
The minister had assured Nigeria that the strike would end soon.
But ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke, said during an interview on Channels Television that the minister did not invite the union to any meeting on Thursday (yesterday) as he promised to do.
Osodeke said, “We were not invited to any meeting. None of our members was invited. We have a secretariat but we never got any invitation from them,” the ASUU leader said in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday.
“The problem we have with this government, especially with the minister of labour, is that if you can tell the world that you have fixed a meeting which you didn’t, how do you expect us to believe other things you have said?
“He should confirm to the world that he sent an invitation to ASUU for a meeting on Thursday.”
He lambasted Ngige and asked him to desist from being part of the Federal Governent negotiations with union.
He accused the labour minister of making matters worse.
He said, “The minister of labour should leave us to deal with the minister of education. He was the one that made this matter worse to this extent.
“He was the one that decided to use hunger as a weapon when he said no work no pay.”
ASUU’s latest round of strikes started since February 14. The union is accusing the government of failing to implement agreements reached with the union.