The Speaker also said he would also not sign the budget if the agreement between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government is not captured by the budget.

Gbajabiamila also disclosed that he will be visiting families of victims of police brutality across the country. He also appealed to the protesters to suspend the ongoing protests.

Gbajabiamila stated these in a speech before the House went into a closed door session during Tuesday’s plenary.

It would be recalled that the 2021 budget was passed through second reading on Wednesday, last week and committees of the House are due to commence budget defence process.

Also, the House in its resolution 2 weeks ago resolved to make provisions in the 2021 budget to compensate the victims of police brutality in the country.

“I will not sign off on a 2021 Budget that does not include adequate provisions to compensate those who have suffered violence and brutality at the hands of the police in Nigeria in the last two decades.

“I will not sign off on a budget that does not meet the reasonable demands of the ASUU, to which government has already acceded. There is no better time to rethink the system of funding for higher education in Nigeria. The current system does a great disservice to our children and our country, and we must commit to changing it so that we can free our institutions of higher learning to be citadels where innovation thrives.”

Gbajabiamila announced his arrival via his Twitter handle on Wednesday.

“Initial meeting with my host the Speaker of Ghanian Parliament who met me at the airport Hon Prof Mike Oquaye. We will meet again this evening,” he tweeted.

The Nigerian speaker had told State House correspondents at the end of a meeting he had with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday that he had received Buhari’s permission to embark on the trip.

Recall that the Federal Government, through the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had last week protested the development, saying it would no longer accept humiliation of Nigerians by Ghana.

Ghananian authorities had since responded to the statement, saying Mohammed’s claims on the issue and previous ones were inaccurate.

But Gbajabiamila said he would be embarking on what he called “legislative diplomacy” to Ghana.

Gbajabiamial, who had earlier said the closure of Nigerian shops in Ghana contravened Economic Community of West African States trade protocols, told reporters that he would find a way forward during his trip.

He said, “I am leaving for Ghana tomorrow (Wednesday) to meet with the Speaker of the parliament in Ghana to look at the issues on ground as they affect our citizens, and to try and calm things down.

“I informed the President and he is aware of every single step that we are taking, and we hope that we will come to an amicable settlement one way or the other.

Gbajabiamila recalled that he had led a similar delegation to South Africa at the peak of a crisis involving Nigerians there.

“It is called legislative diplomacy. If you remember very well, during the days when I was Leader of the House, I led the delegation to South Africa during the crisis there with Nigerians and we were able to accomplish quite a bit, to simmer things down at that time,” he said.

Gbajabiamila said the President was happy about his trip.

The grouse of the union against the Federal Government bordered on the deplorable state of NIMC enrolment centres across the country.

The Secretary-General of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Isaac Ojemhenke, signed the 21-day ultimatum letter, dated November 8, 2019, and addressed to the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Minister of Labour and Employment, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Director General of the State Security Service, Inspector General of Police and NIMC management.

The letter said the deplorable state of NIMC enrolment centres across the country, occasioned by leaking roofs, poor furniture and lack of toilet facility, had resulted in staff members’ deadly encounters with snakes and other reptiles.

It added that poor conditions of the working environment and inhumane welfare had also resulted in workers death. The letter also stated that while NIMC offices had no diesel to power generators, stationery and internet facility, workers’ salaries were reduced and allowances stopped. It also accused the commission’s management of failing to protect staff interests.

In an interview with journalists in Abuja, chairman of the NIMC branch of ASCSN, Lucky Asekokhai, said despite the expiration of the ultimatum, NIMC management had yet to respond to the workers’ demands.

He said a decision would be taken by the union soon, noting that workers would not continue working under deplorable condition of service.

He said, “We have been on this issue for a long time. Because of the insincerity of the management of the commission, we issued an ultimatum in accordance with labour laws which had elapsed. There is no reason for people that work in a critical agency that keeps data of the identities of Nigerians to be subjected to the deplorable condition of service.

“We heard of a new salary structure and the management confirmed it was working on it but we have yet to see the salary. The 28-day relocation allowance given to people on transfer or those that are newly employed had yet to be paid since 2013.

“After the ultimatum, we were invited to the National Assembly, the SGF, police and head of the Trade Dispute department at the Ministry of Labour and Employment and we were told to give the government some time.

“We have decided to give government till December 31, 2019 for further discussion. But if nothing positive comes up, nobody should blame us for any action taken.”

In a separate interview with journalists, NIMC’s General Manager, Operations, Abdulhamid Umar, however, said many issues raised by workers were addressed before the ultimatum elapsed.

He said, “There are issues raised but 99 per cent of them were outside the purview of the NIMC’s management because they were directed at the government. But because we were delegated by government to manage the commission for the public, we cannot run away from the impact of the issues raised. They were germane and still germane but no longer at the front burner again.

“On the allowance, government said we should gather them; so if you go to the Accountant General office, you will see our requisition there. Discussions have taken place at the highest level and those matters have been tabled before the government.”