The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government are set to meet on Monday in a bid to address the demands of university lecturers and avert an impending strike.
On Wednesday, ASUU issued a 21-day strike notice to the government, urging President Bola Tinubu’s administration to resolve all outstanding issues that are hindering the development of Nigerian universities.
The union’s National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, announced the notice during a press conference at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State.
In response to the strike threat, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, confirmed on Thursday that government officials will be meeting with ASUU leadership on Monday to discuss the union’s demands. Prof. Mamman made the announcement during an appearance on TVC’s “Beyond 100 Days” program.
“We have already sent out notice to the leadership of ASUU for us to meet on Monday,” the Minister stated.
“On Wednesday, we (the government) reviewed the letter submitted by ASUU and the issues listed within it. We hope to address these concerns in our upcoming meeting.”
Prof. Mamman acknowledged that some of the issues raised by ASUU are longstanding, citing the 2009 agreement, which has its roots as far back as 1981.
“We have been engaged in a series of conversations with ASUU’s leadership to find lasting solutions to the problems affecting the university system,” he added.