Laolu Akande: Ngige, Adamu still in charge of negotiation with ASUU

Laolu Akande, spokesman of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, says his principal has not taken over negotiation with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

It was reported on Wednesday that Osinbajo was now leading the negotiation with ASUU.

In a statement issued on Friday, Akande said Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, was still in charge of the negotiation.

He said though Osinbajo had a meeting with Ngige and Adamu Adamu, minister of education, about the issue, the vice-president had not taken over.

“News reports that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, is now leading federal government negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is inaccurate,” he said.

“Media reports seemed to have misrepresented what labour and employment minister, Dr Chris Ngige meant when he spoke with reporters about the negotiations after the federal executive council meeting on Wednesday.

“The vice-president had a discussion after FEC with both the labour minister and education minister Mallam Adamu Adamu around the issues, but has not taken over the negotiations as widely reported. Both ministers will continue to lead the FG- ASUU talks.

“The federal government continues to diligently pursue a prompt resolution of this dispute and is confident the matter would be resolved.”

On August 13, ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike over the failure of the government to implement a 2009 agreement and 2013 memorandum of understanding (MoU) it reached with the union.

The union is asking the government to pay its members their earned allowances and to increase funding for universities.