Abuja (Precise Post) – Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige said that there will be consequences if the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) refuse government’s overture to return to the negotiating table.
Ngige disclosed this yesterday in a statement signed by his media aide, Emmanuel Nzomiwu, in Enugu.
The statement said Ngige spoke in his hometown Alor, Anambra State where he donated palliative worth N15 million to vulnerable households to cushion COVID-19 effects.
He said that the federal government could activate relevant labour laws to deal with the situation.
He said that the law permits the federal government to approach the National Arbitration Panel (NAP) and even the National Industrial Court (NIC).
The minister said that the ASUU strike was all about the disagreement on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
According to him, ASUU as an employee lacks the right to dictate to the federal government on how to receive wages.
“The important thing is for your salaries and wages to come to you. As a workman, you receive your pay as compensation for services rendered.
So, that is on the statute everywhere,” he said.
Ngige said that some of the people drawing salaries from the federal government coffers were ghost workers.
“They said there is a breach. We said we are owing. That we can pay it. So, we restructured it and agreed that the government can pay them 20 billion and another 20 billion for earned academic allowances between April 2020 and May. We all agreed,” Ngige said.
