Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives,
says the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) should suspend its strike
in the interest of Nigerian students.
He spoke during a meeting with the union, Chris Ngige,
minister of labour and productivity, and Okolieaboh Sylva, the acting
accountant-general of the federation (AGF), in Abuja on Thursday.
The speaker said the union’s demands are being addressed.
“Everybody cannot be wrong. We are working according to
everything we said in our last meeting, please in the interest of our children,
we have called you in spite of the court ruling,” he said.
Gbajabiamila said efforts are ongoing to address the issues
surrounding the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS)
payment platform proposed by the union.
“We are more or less working for you. There comes a time all
conflicts come to an end. We will make our recommendation to the president,” he
added.
“You have a very good case, the minister dropped a bombshell
before he left but I didn’t pay attention. I understand your feeling and
emotion.
“You are not doing it for yourself but for the enabling
environment and the future of our children. Please let’s take it and get to the
final destination.”
Also speaking, the acting AGF asked ASUU to embrace the
Personal Information Payment System (IPPIS).
Sylva said that if there were peculiarities allowances in
ASUU’s pay, his office would ensure such are incorporated in the IPPIS.
“Let us sit down and know what these issues are and address
them inside IPPIS. We can correct whatever mistake we make now,” he said.
“If we accept what ASUU is saying, it will create room for
everyone to be asking for their own payment platform, the military is on IPPIS
and health workers, ASUU should sit down with us and see the progress we have
made.”
The acting AGF said there is nothing complicated about the
issue once ASUU agrees to the offer.
“In the spirit of reconciliation, if ASUU knows what can be
done, we are willing to adopt it to resolve this issue. It doesn’t make sense
not to accept, let ASUU come to us, we are willing to accept,” he added.
“If we are going to adopt UTAS, that shows we are going to
build the salaries of other civil servants to UTAS.”
On his part, Ngige said the federal government would not
offer ASUU what it does not have.
The minister said he initially tried to push for the
adoption of UTAS and the other two platforms brought by ASUU.
He, however, said the three platforms failed the integrity
test.
Reacting, Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU president, said it was
unfortunate that Nigerians failed to understand how the university system
operates.
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