FG will continue to negotiate with ASUU despite court rulings — Ngige

The Federal Government says it will continue to negotiate with ASUU in spite of Wednesday’s court ruling restraining the union from continuing with its seventh-month strike.

On Wednesday in Abuja, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria ordered the striking lecturers to return to the classroom following a suit filed by the Federal Government.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, made the Federal Government’s position known when he hosted visiting members of the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics.

“The court ruling does not preclude us from going on with further negotiation and consultations,’’ he said.

ASUU began its strike to demand that the Federal Government revisits some agreements signed between them in 2009 and also to improve on varsity funding and payment of earned allowances.

The lecturers also want the Federal Government to shelve its Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in paying lecturers’ salaries.

The Federal Government uses the IPPIS platform to pay its employees.

They demanded that rather than its IPPIS, the government should adopt the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, the payment platform designed by the universities to pay lecturers.

The minister told his visitors that the Industrial Court’s ruling was in the best interest of Nigeria and its people.

According to him, the ruling is a win-win for government, for students, for lecturers and for all Nigerians.

“It is a no victor, no vanquished.

“You doctors in academics are for now members of ASUU, but you are here; even though you have dissociated yourselves and you are working.

“We want to thank you for working and teaching your students,’’ the minister said.