FG Gives Update On Ending ASUU Strike, Insists Striking Lecturers Are Unreasonable

The federal government has described the lingering strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as unreasonable.

The government position was made known on Monday by the Director of Press and Public Relations, in the Federal Ministry of Education, Bem Goong.

He argued that eighty percent of what ASUU demanded from the government have been given to them so, in fairness, the union should have called off the strike.

The reaction is coming amidst earlier reports that ASUU at the end of its National Executive Council, NEC meeting which took place at its University of Abuja Secretariat has extended its current strike which began on February 14, 2022.

As earlier reported by Naija News, sources said ASUU decided to extend its ongoing strike after a series of heated discussions at its NEC meeting which ended on Monday morning.

Members of NEC decided not to call off the six-month-old strike that entered the 196th day on Monday (today).

The official communication is expected to be done by ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke.

There’s No Need To Drag The Strike

Reacting, Goong said the government has met 80% of the demands by ASUU and working on resolving others, hence the striking lecturers in good faith should have returned to the classrooms.

In his words, “If you bring some demands and almost 80% have been attended to, there is no need to drag the strike anymore.

“It is unreasonable for the strike to be lingering since the government has worked towards fulfilling most of the demands.

“As regards the next steps, the government has already inaugurated a committee to harmonize the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, University Transparency and Accountability Solution, UTAS and the University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System, IPPS.”