Remove Ngige now, ASUU tells FG 

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) branch, Wednesday asked the federal government to remove the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, over protracted ASUU/government negotiation on revitalising university education.

The union hinged its demands on the failure of the minister to properly manage ongoing negotiations in the ensuing fracas between its union and the federal government.

The union had after its open congress held inside the university campus protested the salaries paid to its members by the federal government.

Armed with placards with various inscriptions which reads; “Lecturers are not slaves”, “Invest in Education”, “A nation that values education is a nation that develops” “IPPIS is a scam”, among others, members of the union led by OAU ASUU chairman, Professor Tony Odiwe, insisted that lecturers were not employed solely to teach, but to also conduct research.

“When we are employed, our condition of service is not solely on teaching, we have three components including research and community service. We only withdrew only one of the services which is teaching.”

“We are not interested in who the minister is, we are interested in doing what is right. If Ngige is not doing what is right or turning our negotiation with FG to a personal issue or an ego fight, then the government should remove him.”

“We are not troublemakers; we are a union of intellectuals. The latest insult to our union is payment of prorated salaries to our members. For us, it is a distraction, our issues have nothing to do with half salary payment or no work, no pay, we have pre-issues why we went on strike.”