ASUU strike update: FG and ASUU to meet tomorrow

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, will tomorrow hold a crucial meeting with the Federal Government delegation aimed at putting an end to the nationwide strike action embarked upon by the union.

The meeting will be coming exactly a week since the lecturers shunned a meeting with the government delegation, saying such meeting was “unnecessary.”

The Ministers of Labour and Education, Chris Ngige and Adamu Adamu respectively are expected to lead the federal government delegation to the meeting.

ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, who confirmed the meeting, said: “We just received the notification of the meeting. Until Thursday, that is when we can say what would happen but we have been invited for the meeting.”

Recall that the academic union had earlier stated that they were waiting on the federal government to summon a meeting after making their demands known to the government.

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A National Executive Council meeting of ASUU held last week had reviewed the government’s initial offer to some of the demands of the lecturers. At that meeting, the lecturers resolved to proceed with the strike, which is now well into its third week.

According to a top ASUU official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the lecturers rejected the Federal Government’s offer due to lack of “trust.” “Lecturers were not comfortable with the Federal Government’s offer because previous promises failed.

So, it was better to solve all once and for all, so as not to be deceived again,” the source said.

The federal government had reportedly offered to pay N23 billion and a monthly payment of N1.5 billion, pending the outcome of the forensic audit being carried out by the Ministry of Finance on various universities.