UNTOLD DOOM FOR UNDERGRADUATES AS ASUU STRIKES
ON
The academic staff union of
universities (ASUU) says there is no going back on the nationwide strike in
public universities across the country. This comes despite the latest meeting between the Federal
Government and the leadership of the union which held Monday at the Federal
Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris
Ngige, who presided over the crucial meeting promised the union leaders that
the government would take all necessary steps to address their demands.
ASUU National President, Professor Biodun
Ogunyemi led the union’s delegation to the meeting also attended by the
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba. However, the Minister of Education, Adamu
Adamu, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education were absent.
The meeting was later adjourned till Monday
next week to continue further talks. Addressing reporters after the meeting,
Professor Ogunyemi said the union would await the next adjournment date before
it would take a decision on whether or not to suspend the industrial action
that has entered its fifth week. According to him, this is necessary to see
how far the Federal Government will deliver on its promises made to address the
concerns raised by the union.
Today’s meeting comes after at least four
meetings between the government and the union since the strike began. The ministries of education and labour held
two separate meetings with the striking lecturers trying to resolve the issues. The meetings, however, ended inconclusively.
ASUU commenced the total nationwide strike in
November after a meeting of its national leadership at the Federal University
of Technology, Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The strike was to protest the poor funding of
Nigerian Universities, the alleged plot to increase students’ fees,
introduction of an education bank, as well as non-implementation of previous
agreements, among other issues.
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