FG, ASUU Meet Over Strike Threat

The federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) has begun talks in Abuja following the latter’s recent threat to down tools over the alleged federal government’s failure to meet its demands.

Recall that following the threat, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman had hinted last Friday, during a briefing to mark his one year in office that the government would meet with representatives of ASUU last Monday.

The two parties could not however, meet and the reason for the failure was not disclosed.

The meeting is aimed at preventing another nationwide strike in the nation’s public universities.

ASUU representatives to the meeting, led by its President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, are in the meeting taking place at the Conference Hall of the Federal Ministry of Education, the venue of the event.

The Minister of Education and top management staff of the Federal Ministry of Education, are also in the meeting.

Others in the delegation of ASUU are former past presidents of ASUU, led by the immediate past president, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi.

Some of the issues, the ASUU President stated was for the Federal Government to review and sign the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, payment of outstanding earned academic allowances, release of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and end to third-party deductions of ASUU members’ funds.

Other issues demanded by the lecturers include the stoppage of illegal retirements, the proliferation of Public Universities, and the abuse of Universities’ laws.

FG, ASUU Meet Over Strike Threat is first published on The Whistler Newspaper