By Ibe Pascal Arogorn
An altruistic and magnanimous man who devoted the job to see that many Nigerians are satisfied — Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige, Minister of labour, employment and productivity.
Ngige saved Nigeria from the asperity and conniption of industrial action in the last 5 years.
On 23rd March, Academic Staff union of Universities (ASUU) declared an indefinite strike. ASUU President Professor Biodun Ogunyem said this while addressing journalists at the union’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
The union had on March 9 embarked on a two-week warning strike over the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, among others.
Biodun said: “NEC resolved, to embark on a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike beginning Monday, 23 March 2020 until the issues are satisfactorily resolved.”
He alleged that the federal government resorted to use “hunger as a weapon of war” university lecturers.
Owing to tenacious pandemic, COVID19 which raped the whole world, Chris Ngige led ministry cannot begin negotiations on swift solution to end the industrial action. The Novel virus (Coronvirus) ruptured every sector of the economy and made every Nigerian to stay in angst.
After lifting restrictions on lockdown, Chris Ngige has basic impasse which is ; the hike in PMS prices,electricity bilks and ASUU palava. First Ngige led the federal ministry of labour to resolve the crisis of labour union embarking on industrial action
On September 28, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, suspended its planned nationwide strike that would have started on September 28, in protest against the hike in pump price of fuel and electricity tariff.
Earlier, there were indications that the Federal Government and NLC might reach an agreement to avert the looming nationwide strike.
The Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo(SAN) tweeted that there was hope the industrial crisis might be avoided.
He stated on his verified Twitter handle(@fkeyamo): “Still negotiating with labour at exactly 12.34am. Some progress have been made. Concrete proposals on the table from both sides.
“Details being worked on by the temporary Secretariat. Gradually moving towards a point of convergence. Let’s hope….”
Furthermore, a source told Vanguard that it is possible the tariff will be suspended for two weeks, but said nothing specific about fuel pump price.
The source also said a joint government/Labour committee will be set up to review the issues within those two weeks.
Vanguard also learned that a communique is being hammered out, an indication that some sort of agreement had been arrived at.
Ngige has always been a drudge, zealous, “as busy as” minister in president Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial cabinet. An assiduous man, who far best of ministers not in the southeast but the whole of Nigeria.
Ngige is a hero, somebody who is selfless, who is generous in spirit, who just tries to give back as much as possible and help people. A hero to me is someone who saves people and who really deeply cares.
His series of negotiations to see the end of crisis, may be it give him sleepless night.
In ASUU lingered strike, it was reported that Ngige led ministry of labour had about 15 meetings after meeting to end the strike.
On 20 November,
The Federal Government offered a cumulative sum of N65 billion to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to address earned academic allowances and revitalization of universities.
In addition, the government also agreed to pay an additional N15 billion as revitalization fund which is being demanded by the ASUU in its bid to resolve its disagreement with the union. This is in addition to the sum of N20 billion that was paid earlier, bringing the total to N35 billion.
According to a report from Channels Television, the proposal was made by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, on behalf of the Federal Government to the striking lecturers during their meeting on Friday, November 20, 2020, in Abuja.
While briefing the press at the end of the meeting, Ngige described the negotiation as fruitful as the government has decided to shift grounds on the lingering issues that have kept students out of the classroom for several months.
Still not rested, On Tuesday, Ngige made remark on Tuesday as the Federal Government resumes negotiations with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to end the industrial action that has crippled academic activities in universities for about nine months.
Ngige, in his opening address at the meeting held in Abuja, urged the academics led by the ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, to ensure the discussions yielded the desired result.
According to him, the government has addressed all grey areas, and those who plan to occupy the streets in January 2021 to begin an #EndStrike protest will be disappointed.
And Subsequently, the ASUU strike ended
It was his conscientiousness that earned him the title ” HERO OF 4TH REPUBLIC as his three years in Anambra as governor, Ngige transformed the state infra-structurally
Chris Nwabueze Ngige has made the current federal ministry of labour relevant
He is the only workaholic minister in Buhari’s cabinet
Ibe Pascal Arogorn is a journalist and columnist
Writes from Asaba, Delta state.
Twitter: @ibepascal6
