Fresh reports reaching the desk of Africa Daily News, New York have revealed that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has set the records straight that the Federal Government of Nigeria did not invite the union to any meeting to iron things out over the strike action.
Chris Ngige, who is the Nigerian Minister of Labour and Employment, had on Wednesday announced that the Federal Government of Nigeria had scheduled a meeting with the Union, while making assuranced that the strike would be called off.
Ngige, who spoke after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, had also debunked the allegations that the Federal Government of Nigeria was putting plans in place to create a different payment table for the unions.
Read Also: ASUU Strike Will Be Called Off Soon, Ngige Assures Nigerians
But speaking on Channels Television, Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU president, said the union did not receive any letter of invitation from the minister.
Osodeke urged Ngige to remove himself from the ongoing negotiation because he had worsened the situation.
“We were not invited to any meeting. None of our members were invited. We have a secretariat but we never got an invitation from them.
“The problem we have with this government, especially with the Minister of Labour, is that if you can tell the world that you have fixed a meeting which you didn’t, how do you expect us to believe other things you have said?
“He should confirm to the world that he sent an invitation to ASUU for a meeting on Thursday,” he said.
“The Minister of Labour should leave us to deal with the Minister of Education. He was the one that made this matter worse to this extent. He was the one that decided to use hunger as a weapon, when he said no work no pay.”
