Strike: Reps Speaker summons Finance, Education ministers, ASUU president

In response to the three weeks ASUU strike threats, the Speaker of Nigeria’s 9th House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has summoned the finance minister, education minister, and ASUU president to an emergency meeting which will be held on Thursday, November 18, 2021.

Gbajabiamila disclosed this in a plenary session on Tuesday based on a bill of urgent public importance put forward by Professor Julius Ihonvbere, Chairman of the House Basic Education Committee.

Ihonvbere prayed that the House of Representatives “urge the federal government to urgently take all necessary measures to start realistic negotiations with ASUU to stop the strike and implement the signed agreement to protect the interests of our students, their parents, the education department, and the country.”

“The Committees on Education, Tertiary, and Basic should investigate and report back to the House. I will meet with the Minister of Finance, Minister of Education, and representatives of ASUU in my office on Thursday.”

The moving topic is: “Motion on the Urgent Need for the Federal Government to Do All Within Its Powers to Stop the Impending ASUU Strike,’ Ihonvbere said, “The House notes with dismay that once again, ASUU in Nigeria is threatening to proceed on another industrial action on a matter that has been on the front burner for so long: the implementation of negotiated and signed agreements with the Federal Government.

“The House notes also that the Federal Government has not been quite forthcoming, neither has it attached any consistent seriousness to the urgent need to reposition and refocus the education sector in line with our developmental objectives.

“The House is aware that the ASUU President has threatened to call out his members across the nation, if all the issues, including those of unpaid academically earned allowances and the universities revitalization fund, are not addressed within three weeks.”