FG Appeals To ASUU To Resume Work
….nominate Adamu, Mustapha, Ihekweazu, Aboyomi, Adedavo, Rabiu for Productivity Award
The Federal Government on Monday appealed to the striking members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as well as other unions in the university to call off her industrial action and resume work.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige speaking at the commemoration of the 19th National Productivity Day (NPD), said he is doing his job as the chief councillor, urging the Government side to expedite action on the renegotiation of the Conditions of Service of the university workers.
He said “I have appealed to SSANU, NASU and NAAT to get back and open the universities so that when ASUU members come back, they will see a place to work. That is the situation now. In the Ministry of Labour and Employment, we are conciliators and arbitrators. Those on strike are not our workers. Their direct employers are the University and the Federal Ministry of Education. Any further queries on the ASUU strike should go to the Federal Ministry of Education and if possible, the National Universities Commission (NUC) who are their direct employers. We are here to conciliate them whenever either the employers or employees report to us that there is a breakdown in negotiations.”
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ASUU on Monday at the end of her NEC meeting that lasted through out Sunday night, extended her ongoing warning strike with another 3 months (12 weeks), due to what they described as un- seriousness on the part of government to resolving the disputes.
In another embodiment, the Federal Government has listed some deserving individuals and organisations for the conferment of the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award for 2019 and 2020.
The individual awardees include the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu; the Secretary to the Federal Government, Boss Mustapha; immediate past Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chike Ihekweazu; Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Akin Aboyomi; industrialist, Abdusamad Rabiu, and billionaire businessman, Mike Adenuga jnr.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, disclosed this in his office while briefing journalists on the observance of the 19th National Productivity Day and Conferment of the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award by the President on Thursday.
Ngige announced that NPOM post humous awards would also be conferred on the late Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, who died from the Ebola virus while quarantining the patient zero, Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian in a medical facility in Lagos, as well as the late Mr. Babatunde Lawal, who until his death was the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The organisations shortlisted for the award, according to the Minister, include the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Erisco Foods Limited, Financial Derivatives Limited Lagos, Crown Flour Mills Lagos and Tummy Tummy Foods Industry Limited.
Ngige said the Buhari administration has continued to exhibit dedication to the overall socio-economic growth and development of the nation in order to transform it for improved standard of living of all Nigerians.
He said, ” the government is therefore conscious of the cardinal place of productivity in the realisation of the overall development of the nation.
“The priority areas vision for Nigeria is clear and achievable and the administration focuses on enhancing higher productivity as no nation can be self reliant and competitive in the international market without productivity improvement in all sectors of the economy.
“This administration has successfully charted a path for economic growth and development for Nigeria with a new development plan. The Medium Term National Development Plan (MTNDP 2021-2025) succeeds the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) with focus on economic diversification, investment in infrastructure, security and good governance, educated and healthy population, poverty alleviation and economic and social development across the states.”
Ngige maintained that no nation can enhance the quality of lives of its citizens and be self reliant and competitive in the international market without productivity improvement in all sectors of the economy.
He described productivity as the most important determinant of social economic growth, wealth creation, employment generation and overall improved standard of living.
“Given the cardinal role of productivity, it is imperative that the citizenry be consistently reminded of the need for the development of a productive mindset that would ensure the productive growth of all sectors of the economy. It is in realisation of this that the Federal Government through the National Policy on Productivity declared that a day shall be observed as the National Productivity Day (NPD) throughout the country every year. The decision of Government to observe NPD every year was predicated on the need to stimulate productivity consciousness and reward innovation, productivity and hard work among Nigerians.”