ASUU STRIKE: Buhari Gives Education Minister Two Weeks To Resolve Issues

Muhammadu Buhari has given the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, a two-week ultimatum to resolve the issues surrounding the ongoing 5-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

ASUU has been on strike since February 14th this year to compel the government to fulfill a number of demands.

President Buhari issued the ultimatum on Tuesday after receiving briefings from Agencies, Ministries, and Departments of government involved in the disagreement with the striking university unions.

He also directed that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, should be present in any future meetings to resolve the crisis.

In attendance at the meeting were the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Ngige, and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.

Other officials at the meeting were the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, the Chairman of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, and the Director-General Budget Office, Ben Akabueze.

Some of the demands made by ASUU include payments of salary arrears, better working conditions, renegotiation of the 2009 FG-ASUU agreement, payment of earned academic allowances, funds for the revitalization of public universities, and promotion arrears, and poor funding of state universities.

Besides ASUU, other university unions which are currently on strike include the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

SSANU and NASU had announced the extension of their strike by two months on Wednesday, 22nd June, saying that the strike would only end when the Federal Government meets members’ demands.