Federal Government and ASUU to Discuss Demands and Avert Looming Strike

To discuss the demands of university instructors and avert a looming strike, the Federal Government and the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will meet on Monday.

The union had sent the government a notice of a 21-day strike on Wednesday, demanding that President Bola Tinubu's administration address all outstanding issues impeding the advancement of Nigerian institutions. The announcement was made during a news conference at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture in Umudike, Abia State, by Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the National President of ASUU.

In response, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, announced that government representatives would meet with ASUU leadership on Monday to avert the impending walkout. The Minister shared this during an appearance on TVC's Beyond 100 Days show on Thursday.

“We have already sent out notice to the leadership of ASUU for us to meet on Monday," he stated. "On Wednesday, we (the government side) reviewed the letter submitted by ASUU and all the issues listed in it. It is our hope that by Monday, we will meet to discuss them."

Prof. Mamman added, “Some of the issues are historic in nature, like the 2009 agreement, which dates back to almost 1981 when it started. We have been having a series of conversations with the leadership of ASUU on the issues affecting the university system so that we can, together, address all their concerns.”