The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities have traded blame over the four-week strike which the union began on Monday.
While briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice-President YEMI OSINBAJO, the minister said he was surprised that the lecturers could decide to embark on industrial action amid renegotiations.
He said it is not the federal government’s fault if there has been no agreement after several negotiations between both parties.
Some university students, who have been affected by the ongoing strike ventilated their opinion on the industrial action embarked upon by ASUU.
But the President of ASUU, Prof essor EMMANUEL OSODEKE, faulted the minister insisting that the union visited him on Thursday last week and told him what would likely happen.
According to him, the minister did not mention the issue of negotiations when the union visited him.
In another vein, the Minister of Labour and Employment, CHRIS NGIGE, on his part, described the ongoing strike a “leave” following the failure of the union to notify his ministry before embarking on strike.
NGIGE also noted that the union failed in its agreement with the National Inter-religious Council headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji ABUBAKAR SA’AD; and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev SAMSON AYOKUNLE, by failing to report to the committee before embarking on strike.
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