Benue State government has urged the Federal Government to honour its agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU l, to enable the union call off its over five months strike.
Governor Ortom made the appeal on Tuesday, while addressing members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Benue State Chapter, who embarked on the two-day sympathy protest in support of ASUU.
The governor, who spoke through the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Professor Tony Ijohor, SAN, said it was not acceptable the inability of the Federal Government to resolve her issues with ASUU, a situation which has kept students at home for more than five months.
He said his government is in full support of the sympathy protest by NLC and other actions it intends to take and promised to take their grievances to appropriate quarters.
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 government 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 NLC in Benue state, Mr Godwin Anya, said the union has decided to take over the issue between ASUU and the FG because of insensitivity of the federal government.
Anya, who read a letter from the national president of the union demanded immediate payment of withheld salaries owed members of ASUU, acceptance of the proposed payment system by ASUU as well as settlement of all other issues raised by the union.
