ASUU also called on the Federal Government to urgently call Ngige to order before his lies further plunge Nigeria into further crisis
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Sunday, described some assertions made by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, about the Usman Danfodio University chapter of the union as falsehood.
According to the union, Dr Ngige in an interview with Arise TV claimed the Medical lecturers of the instruction are teaching and the University has graduated their medical students. He also said he has advised the Finance Minister to process their payments.
Countering the claim in a statement jointly issued by the Chairperson of the ASUU chapter of Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, M.N Al-Mustapha, and the Secretary, S.A, Sadiku, the union said the minister lied and noted his tenure recorded the highest number of strike actions.
The union also called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), to call the minister to order before his lies further plunge this Nigeria into more crisis.
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While referencing the interview by Ngige, the UDUS chapter of ASUU refuted some of the statements made by the minister in relation to the state of affairs at the College of Medicine of the university which, according to the minister, did not join the ongoing strike by ASUU.
The statement partly read, “The attention of ASUU, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto Branch, has been drawn to an interview granted to Arise TV by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, on July 14, 2022. In the said interview, he characteristically (as always) misinformed and disinformed Nigerians about the actual state of the ASUU-FGN reconciliation efforts.
“In part of his remarks, Dr. Ngige pitiably and shamefully stated, in quote “Medical lecturers are at work, they are teaching. Sokoto has graduated their medical students, they are reasonable people, they have tested the strike, and saw that it produces no result, yes they did it the last time. So, today, they have written, their Vice Chancellor has approved that they are at work. The labour controllers in those states have also confirmed that they are at work and I have advised the Finance Minister and they are processing their payments.
“This is to categorically and unequivocally inform the public and those concerned that these are all in the imagination of the Minister. This intentional misinformation and treachery against the sensibility of Nigerians, is already known to many as the characteristics of Dr. Ngige. His manner of narrative during the interview depicts his inhumane nature and wanton disregard for truth, honesty, and integrity, a character unbefitting of a Federal Minister.
“The question at this juncture is, how many of such untrue statements has he told the President about the negotiations and how will he continue to tell such fabricated stories before Nigerians? What would be the magnitude of damage he has caused the education system of this nation by such ‘unstatesmanly’ comments? Is Dr. Ngige not aware that it does not add up that the said lecturers have done their job, yet they have not been paid their salaries for such job, or is he cunningly portraying his government as an unfair one?
“It should, however, be on record that such dangerous precedence of falsehood without emotion, typical of “Conciliator” Dr. Ngige has made him the worst Minister of Labour ever in the history of Nigerian labour relations. His antics, biasness, and wickedness have earned him the highest number of strike actions during his tenure and have surpassed his predecessors with the highest number of unresolved disputes and conflicts. Dr Ngige, by attitude, succeeded in misleading all the critical stakeholders in the current struggle into believing that the issue at stake is unsolvable.
“He has also succeeded in degrading his professional status and the position he occupies, while his colleagues in the medical profession are doing wonderfully well, both in Nigeria and in the diaspora.
“We, therefore, call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to as a matter of urgency, take necessary action and call Ngige to order before his lies further plunge this nation into serious crisis.”
