“Two weeks is too long to resolve our issue,” – ASUU President replies Buhari

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said the two weeks ultimatim President Buhari gave to Education Minister to resolve their issue is to long.

ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, disclosed this Tuesday during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.

Recall President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, to resolve the prolonged industrial action embarked upon by the ASUU and other university-based unions.

But responding to the directive, Osodeke said “Two weeks is too long. The issue of negotiation has been completed by both sides. They should just come back to us and say we have agreed to sign.”

Osodeke also added that if not for ASUU’s struggle Nigerian universities may be reduced to public primary schools in three years.

“If we are not sincere, if we are not fully committed, we would have abandoned this struggle. Do you know what will happen? In the next two to three years Nigerian universities will be like public primary and secondary schools.

“If we are not sincere Federal Government will not be owing our five-month salaries and we are still on strike looking for how to raise money for our children; we would have gone back. What we are saying is that the government should change our system. I want to plead to the president on behalf of Nigerian children who cannot afford it that the legacy he should leave behind is to transform this system,” Prof Osodeke added.

ASUU NEC meets on August 1st, Rules out the Possibility of Suspending Strike

Meanwhile, the National Executive Council (NUC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will hold its meeting on the 1st week of August, The Punch reports.

The chairman of ASUU, Federal University of Technology, Minna chapter, Dr. Gbolahan Bolarin, confirmed the planned meeting to Punch’s correspondent on Monday.

Dr. Bolarin said the meeting would be held either on July 30 or August 1, 2022.

He further revealed that though at the meeting they will decide on whether to suspend or continue with the strike, he believes there isn’t a possibility of suspending the strike.

According to him, the government has not brought anything to the table that can lead to such a decision.

“We are not even at a point to vote on continuation or not because there is nothing from the Federal Government yet.

“The NEC will be holding its meeting early next month (August). That should be August 1. The meeting might even be on July 30,” he said.

CREDIT: ALLSCHOOL, Daily Trust