By DAVID IORJA, Abuja –
The Federal Government assured assured on Wednesday that its differences with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will soon be resolved to pave the way for resumption of academic activities in earnest.
The Government also denied reports that it was planning to create a different payment table for the university lecturers.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, who spoke to State House dents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, said the government was interested in seeing tertiary students going back to school.
The FEC meeting was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, presidential villa.
According to the Minister, the meeting on Thursday is expected to look at the progress report by the relevant bodies handling the crisis, including NITDA on how far it has gone with the integrity test on the University Transparency and Accountability System (UTAS).
UTAS was proposed as an alternative platform by ASUU, while the University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System (U3PS), was proposed by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions (NASU).
Ngige said he was waiting for the report of the Tripartite Plus Committee comprising the Ministry of Education, the Chief of Staff, Salaries and Wages Income Commission, the National University Commission (NUC), and the striking unions.
On the allegation that the federal government was planning to create a separate salary payment structure for the ASUU, the Minister said there was no veracity in such allegation.
