ASUU can’t claim varsity autonomy, says Fed Govt

13 Nov ASUU can’t claim varsity autonomy, says Fed Govt

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has said that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) cannot claim to be autonomous when lecturers are paid by the government.

He said autonomy can only work when a university generates its resources to pay workers and meet its obligation.

Ngige spoke while defending his ministry’s budget before the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment..

Ngige, according to a statement by his media aide, Emmanuel Nzomiwu, told the lawmakers that the Federal Government was addressing the strike holistically to ensure that other unions in the university system were carried along.

Besides, the minister said the Federal Government has met most of the union’s demands.

“Out of the eight demands of ASUU, the government has solved five. We have made N50 billion available; N20 billion for the revitalisation of the universities and N30 billion for Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).

“The union agreed and went back to their members, only to return and say that the money for EAA should be for ASUU members alone, excluding other unions, namely, SSANU, NASU and NAAT,” Ngige said.

He explained that the Federal Government cannot ignore the other unions as such could be counter-productive to the smooth running of the university system.

“We cannot ignore the other unions whose services are indispensable for the full functioning of the university. If we ignore them, even if ASUU calls off the strike, the other unions will down tools-close the lecture rooms, the libraries, the laboratories- and, even the university gate,” the minister said.