Buhari Govt Apologizes To Students, Parents Over Prolonged ASUU Strike

The Federal Government on Friday
apologized to Nigerian students and
parents over the prolonged strike
embarked upon by the Academic Staff
Union of Univetsities, ASUU

The leadership of the public University
teachers early hours of Friday
conditionally suspended the eight
month strike it embarked upon on
February 14 as a result of the
government’s failure to attend to some
of their concerns.

The federal government through the
Ministry of Labour and Employment
expressed gratitude to all Nigerians
who participated in various ways in
the negotiations leading to the calling
off of the strike.

A statement by the Deputy Director
Press in the Ministry, Olajide
Oshundun, assured Nigerians that with
the steps the federal government is
taking, Nigerian students will be saved
the unpalatable experience of
intermittent, prolonged industrial
actions in future.

According to the statement, “In a
special way, the Minister of Labour
and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige
expresses gratitude to the Honourable
Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and
the leadership of the House of the
House of Representatives.

“We particularly recognize the
patriotic efforts of the Sultan of
Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, the
former President of the Christian
Association of Nigeria, Rev. Supo
Ayokunle, all members of Nigeria
Inter Religious Council (NIREC) and
the Catholic Bishops Conference of
Nigeria whose wisdom and
intervention raised a ray of hope while
the strike was at infancy but for
ASUU’s intransigence to negotiation.

“We were forced to migrate the matter
to the National Industrial Court of
Nigeria (NICN) created by the 1999
Constitution as amended, for the
settlement of industrial disputes
because every channel of negotiation
including the tripartite plus, in which
eminent Nigerians participated in
failed. We were left with no other
option than to trigger Section 17 of the
Trade Disputes Act .CAP T8, Laws of
the Federation of Nigeria 2004 on
dispute resolution mechanism in
seeking the intervention of the
National Industrial Court .