FG, ASUU after 14-hour meeting issue communique to resolve strike  

Published September 8, 2017

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, after a 14-hour meeting which ended on Friday morning, issued a communique, giving the union a one-week ultimatum to get back to the government on the strike action.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who highlighted the communique to journalists by 3.30am on Friday, said the government had pledged itself to the contentious issues raised by the union.

Ngige said, “To remind you, some of them are the funding of universities, earned academic allowances, staff schools, salary shortfalls, the issue of the Treasury Single Account among others. Most of these issues stem from the 2009 agreement and the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding that the government had with ASUU.

“Government is a continuum. Most of these issues did not crop up during the Buhari administration. We inherited them. Based on our conclusions, the ASUU will consult with its members and revert to the government within one week. We expect them within one week. The meeting was very cordial.”

The ASUU president, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, promised the executives would consult with their members and communicate their decision within the ultimatum.