As the House of Representatives, continue in it’s efforts to end the crisis between the members of Academic staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government on Thursday met with the two parties.
According to speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, the recommendations would soon be presented to the President Muhammadu Buhari.
The government’s side urged ASUU to allow their accommodation under the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.
The ASUU side, however, insisted on an independent and domesticated platform for university lecturers, challenging the National Information Technology Development Agency to prove that the University Transparency Accountability Solution recommended by it failed the integrity test.
This is just as Gbajabiamila, said the report of the stakeholders’ roundtable and the recommendations of the parliament would soon be ready.
Gbajabiamila, in his closing remarks at the end of the meeting that lasted two hours, pleaded with ASUU to accept whatever the House eventually recommends in good faith.
He said, “I believe this would be, hopefully, the last meeting we are going to have on this matter because from here, the leadership of the House will put together our reports, our recommendations, and our thoughts and take them to Mr President.
“I am hoping that whatever we have done, ASUU will accept it in good faith—this is an independent arm of the government—and that the government will accept it in good faith as well so that our children can return to school, which is what this is all about.”
The PUNCH reports that earlier, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, stated that the ministers cannot sign any agreement with ASUU until the President approves it, considering the prevailing realities.
Also, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, pointed out that the government cannot run two parallel payment platforms for workers due to the huge financial implication, urging ASUU to allow the university system to be captured under IPPIS.
