The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) held a meeting on Wednesday to prevent a potential strike by the union. The meeting, which took place at the Minister of Education’s office in Abuja, aimed to address the outstanding issues affecting the university system.
ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, stated that the meeting was necessary since the current administration had failed to address the issues in its first year in office. Both parties expressed optimism that the negotiation process would resolve all outstanding issues amicably.
The union had threatened to embark on strike over various issues, including the non-implementation of the Memorandum of Action of December 2020, withheld salaries, and unpaid allowances. However, after the meeting, Osodeke revealed that committees had been set up to look into the 10 demands listed by ASUU, and they would meet again in two weeks for another review.
The Education Minister, Tahir Mamman, promised that consultations would commence immediately to overcome the challenges in the university system. He acknowledged that some issues were beyond the scope of the ministry and required collaboration with other ministries.
The union had staged protests nationwide on Tuesday, warning of an impending strike if the government failed to act on agreements signed with the union. The protests saw lecturers marching through their campuses, bearing placards with various inscriptions, and calling on the Federal Government to return to the negotiating table.