The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has asked the striking university lecturers who are members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to consider the plight of students and parents and return to work.

In a statement yesterday, the Minister said the university lecturers should also consider the efforts which the federal government has committed towards the revitalisation of the university system as well as the openness it has shown in the upliftment of their welfare as contained in the 2020 MOA and return to the classroom.

“Consider your students and their parents; consider the perils these students pass through on daily basis, away from school as well as the lost opportunities. Restoring glory to our university system is collective and the present government has shown enough commitment towards it.

“As a parent whose children are in public universities; I share the pains of ordinary Nigerians. I therefore appeal to ASUU to call off the strike while the rest of the issues in contention are tackled,” he said.

While felicitating with Christians on the occasion of the remembrance of the death and resurrection of Christ, Ngige urged Christians to see Easter as another great opportunity to re-awaken the dying fervor of personal and collective sacrifice, calling on Nigerians not to despair in the face of threatening national challenges.

Ngige said just like Christ suffered death for the redemption of mankind, no sacrifice was too much towards nation-building.

“By death on the cross and resurrection, Christ has left an undying lesson that obedient, absolute faith in God, perseverance and sacrifice make the ultimate path to victory. What else does the world want?  What else does Nigeria need than these virtues at this crushing moment of national history,” Ngige asked.

He therefore charged the nation to, “unite in collective sacrifice against the common enemies of insecurity, corruption, lukewarm patriotism and every other vice, eating out and ebbing away the progress of the Nigeria.”

The minister also congratulated Christians for, “being steadfast with Christ, all through the 40-day lent, culminating in the crucifixion and death on Good Friday, and the  eternal damnation of the powers of sin and death through resurrection on the Easter Day.”