Strike: Gov Ortom urges FG to honour agreement with ASUU

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has urged the Federal Government to honour the agreement it voluntarily entered with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU for the union to call of its strike.

Governor Ortom made the appeal today, Tuesday, July26th, 2022 while addressing members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC Benue State Chapter who have embarked on a two-day sympathy protest in support of ASUU.

The Governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Tony Ijohor, SAN, described as unacceptable, the inability of the Federal Government to resolve its issues with ASUU, resulting in students staying at home for more than five months.

The Governor said the Benue State Government was in full support of the sympathy protest by the NLC as well as other actions it intends to embark upon and promised to take their grievances to appropriate quarters.

Governor Ortom also called on the Federal Government to revisit its “no work no pay” policy to armtwist ASUU into submission, saying the honourable thing to do was for the Government to address all the issues raised by the union.

The Governor disclosed that his administration would sit with the Joint Action Committee of NASU AND SSANU of the Benue State University within the shortest possible time with a view to negotiating and solving their issues.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Benue, Comrade Godwin Anya said the union had decided to take over the issue between ASUU and the Federal Government because of the insensitivity on the part of the Buhari administration.

Comrade Anya who read a letter from the National President of the union, demanded immediate payment of withheld salaries of members of ASUU, acceptance of the proposed payment system by ASUU, as well as the settlement of all other issues raised by the union.