By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
The five-month old strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and three other university-based unions over their welfare packages may be coming to an end soon as President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu to resolve the prolonged strike and report back to him in two weeks time.
President Buhari gave the directive on Tuesday after he received briefings from the relevant government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) involved in resolving the face-off with the university unions.
Recall that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had proceeded on indefinite strike since February 14 with a one month warning strike just as other unions also withdrew their services after that as a result of the alleged inability of the federal government to meet up with their demands.
The three other unions that embarked on strike like ASUU are the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) respectively.
Prompt News reports that
President Buhari summoned the high-powered Tuesday meeting to receive briefings from the government team on why the strike has lingered for too long.
Sources privy to what transpired at the meeting revealed that the President after hearing from the relevant MDAs directly involved in the matter ordered the Minister of Education to ensure that the impasse was resolved within two weeks and report back to him.
It was also gathered from sources at the meeting that President Buhari directed that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige must be in any of the meetings to resolve the country’s education crisis.
One of the sources further said that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha should be part of the team to interface with the striking unions.
Yet, one of the sources, said that President Buhari commended Ngige in his efforts so far to resolve the face-off.
Those who attended the meeting are the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Ngige, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, the Chairman of National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, the Director-General Budget Office, Ben Akabueze.
