FG To Start Implementation Of Fresh Agreement With Varsity Workers Next Week

THE Federal Government is optimistic that fresh agreements reached at its tripartiteplus meeting with the university unions would start yielding fruits next week.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, stated this after the meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, last Thursday night.

The four university- based unions that are currently on strike include the Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities ( SSANU), the NonAcademic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions ( NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists ( NAAT).

Ngige said the government and the unions had a cordial and fruitful discussion, looked at the issues dispassionately and reached some agreements to the satisfaction of everybody in attendance.

He explained that the discussion was moved out of the Labour Ministry to make it tripartite- plus, adding that the government brought in some interested parties such as the Nigeria Inter- Religious Council ( NIREC) headedbythe Sultan of Sokoto as Chairman and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN), Sampson Ayokunle as Co- Chairman.

He said: “We discussed. Everybody was happy. We reached some agreements and we hope that by next week, those agreements will start maturing and the four unions will also go and brief their members, so that they can call off the strike.”