Lecturers\Nigerian Government impasse can still be resolved through dialogue – Wogu

Nigeria’s former Minister of Labour and Employment, Emeka Wogu says the present impasse between the Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria (ASUU) and the federal government which has seen the Lecturers down tools for seven months can be resolved through dialogue.

He stated this during an exclusive interview with Voice of Nigeria in Abuja on the sideline of the launch of a public presentation of a book on the forty years of existence of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

According to him, there must be a continuous engagement of the federal government on one side and labour on the other side with both parties having solely the interest of the nation as a priority so that the lingering strike will be arrested.

“You know during my time, I took an approach that is quite different and unique. It was not adversarial; it was not government against them or them against government.

“I thank God that we were able to achieve some milestone at that period, but I will still urge ASUU to have a rethink about their stance on whether to continue or not to continue,” Wogu said.

He said he was aware of the government’s efforts to resolve the crisis like the meeting between the President, Muhammdu Buhari and the Committee headed by Professor Briggs.

“…at the same time, I’m asking the government too to review their stance, so lets there be a win-win situation because the people who are at the receiving side are the parents and the children who have lost seven months…but nothing is impossible in human life including resolution of most of these crises.

“It could be achieved within a day, it could be achieved within a matter of hours.”

The former Minister recalled a time during his tenure as Minister under then President Goodluck Jonathan which lasted for three and half months, saying it took the “Sagacity of the then President and the approach I had adopted-stages, milestone approach-after my office, then Secretary to Government and all that, so eventually when it was time for us to meet the President.

“Minister Ngige has done well too….”

On the action taken by the Nigerian government to take ASUU to the Industrial Court over the strike, Wogu said that the action taken by the Minister by referring the matter to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria was done in accordance with the law.

He called on the federal government and ASUU to find a meeting point to resolve the dispute in the interest of the students and the nation.

The former Minister stressed that education is the bedrock of development in any society and everything needed should be done to protect its sanctity.

However, today Wednesday 21st September, the Industrial Court ruled that ASUU should return to the classroom.

On how the NLC has faired in the last forty years having interacted with the Congress as Minster of Labour, he said that the period covered by the book was when labour union was formalized, but before then even before the coal mine, labour had been in position but not as organised as the NLC movement that came as a result of years of struggle.

“I would say that the NLC pre-independence was excellent, after independence, they did well, during the period of military interregnum, they had their greatest challenge and that was the time was proscribed by the then Military Head of State….”

According to him, with the present leadership of the NLC just like the past leaders, the future of the labour movement in Nigeria will keep moving to greater heights.

PIAK