ASUU strike: Ngige says FG will consider UTAS
By Modupe Shodeinde
The Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Dr Chris Ngige, has stated that the University Transparency Account Systems payment platform developed by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, is under appraisal and will be considered by the government.
Ngige said this after he led a delegation of the Federal Government in a meeting with the leadership of the Senate on the appraisal of the UTAS.
The meeting was held as part of efforts to resolve the conflict between the FG and ASUU.
Also in attendance at the meeting chaired by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, was the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris and the ASUU leadership led by the President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi.
In his address to journalist after the meeting, Ngige said, “ASUU has demonstrated to us, how the UTAS they developed could work but the demonstration will continue.
“We will involve other government agencies who would also come and assess it. Discussions on it are not foreclosed yet.
“UTAS is homegrown software. It is what we call local content that Mr President is encouraging. It will be considered by the government,” Ngige added.
ASUU had embarked on an indefinite strike action after it rejected the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in February.
The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, in the meeting, said that the current deadlock between the Federal Government and ASUU will not favour any of them and they have to come to an agreement.
“It has to be a win-win situation,” Lawan said.
The House of Representatives has also scheduled a meeting with leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities to discuss the current rift between the Federal Government and the Union.
The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the plenary on Tuesday said, “This is for the leadership and the Chairman and Deputy Chairman, Committee on Tertiary Education, and any member of that committee that wants to be in attendance. There will be a meeting with ASUU in my office tomorrow at 1:30pm.”
The meeting is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, 14th of October, 2020.
