The Senator representing Bayelsa East Senatorial Zone which is under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has called for the immediate Privatization of all Federal and State University so as to put an end to the constant Academic Staff Union of Universities,ASUU strike
Senator Murray-Bruce in his latest tweet a few hours ago, and in his bid to make a “common sense” said :
“I suggest the federal and state governments should privatize the universities that they own. This will bring in genuine investors and bring an end to the continuous ASUU strike”. He said.
The statement by the Senator might not go down well with many Nigerians, given how hard the economy is. Also private universities in Nigeria are on the higher side and out of the reach of the common man when it comes to student tuition, while lecturers are paid chicken feeds as salaries.
Luckily for students negotiations will continue tomorrow between government and ASUU as a statement released a few hours ago confirmed this, as both parties pray for an end to ASUU strike.
The statement released by the Ministry of Education who had earlier threatened a “no work no pay rule” on the ASUU strike, said there will be yet another meeting on Monday 10th December where both parties and the Ministry of labour will try an reach an agreement. The Statement reads:
“The minister had earlier in the exercise of his powers sent back the conciliation to the Federal Ministry of Education as he noticed during the first meeting that both parties have not exhausted the internal conciliation mechanism. Knowing that ASUU and her members are on essential services as contained in the Trade Dispute Act, the minister has therefore directed that the matter is re-apprehended back into his ministry to avoid unnecessary meddlesomeness by external interlopers as well as to ensure speedy resolution of all issues to enable ASUU to call off the strike.
Hence, the minister in the exercise of his powers in section 5 of the Trade Dispute Act has re-apprehended the dispute and invited all parties to a meeting. By this, all further discussions between the Ministry of Education and ASUU will now recommence at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
“A meeting has been convened for Monday, December 10, 2018, at the Conference Room of the Minister of Labour and Employment. The ministry will also further investigate the media report credited to Mr Falana to ascertain whether he actually quoted those Supreme Court judgments, knowing full well that they are tangential and that they neither anchor nor dwell on provisions of section 43 of Trade Dispute Act T8 ( LFN 2004) before it will take further necessary action.”