ASUU to Buhari: Strike can be resolved in 2 days, not weeks

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said the industrial action embarked upon by the union will not take more than the two days to resolve if the Federal Government was serious with the lingering strike.

The ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, made this known while speaking on Channels Television programme, Politics Today, on Tuesday.

Osodeke said the two-week ultimatum issued by President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the issues raised by ASUU is too much, noting that it does not require such a long timeframe to resolve the crisis.

The Star had reported that President Buhari directed the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to proffer a solution to the prolonged industrial action by ASUU and other university-based unions and report back to him in two weeks.

Buhari further directed the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, to be in all the meetings to resolve the crisis.

Reacting to the development, Osodeke said the industrial action embarked upon by the university lecturers can be resolved in two days.

He said: “The issue of renegotiation has been completed by both sides. Just come back to us and say ‘we have agreed’, that will not take two days. We were told they spent billions to feed children in school; is that correct, how many children have you seen being fed?

“Nigerians spend not less than N200 billion as school fees paid to Ghanaian universities every year. Government should prioritise education as number one in the country because all of us must pass through the school.”

The ASUU President, while describing Buhari’s directive as a welcome development, said such a directive was not new to the union.

Osodeke further recalled the intervention of religious leaders under the auspices of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in the crisis, saying they met with Buhari in February but the committee set up by the President failed to invite ASUU leadership for a meeting.

“All issues have been discussed, government representatives have met with ASUU, and there is a draft joint agreement to look at and come back for the signature.

Does it take you two weeks to look at what you have negotiated?” the ASUU President said.

The Star