The Federal Government is scheduled to meet with representatives of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other relevant stakeholders on Monday to address the strike notice recently issued by the union,leadership reports.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, made this announcement during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday.
A few days ago, ASUU issued a 21-day strike notice to the Federal Government over several unresolved issues. These issues include the need for an emergency revitalization fund for public universities, payment of outstanding earned academic allowances, the release of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and third-party deductions for its members.
ASUU also raised concerns about the stoppage of illegal recruitments, the proliferation of public universities, the abuse of university laws, regulations, and processes, the removal of universities from the treasury single account, and the introduction of a new IPPIS system to support university autonomy.
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During the press conference marking his one year in office, Mamman informed journalists that invitations have been sent to ASUU leadership and other relevant organizations for the meeting.
“Most of the issues raised by ASUU are being addressed. For instance, the issue of exiting the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) has already been resolved by the President. The delay in implementing that directive is due to bureaucracy. However, by the time we meet on Monday, we expect to discuss and resolve some of these issues,” Mamman stated.
He emphasized that President Bola Tinubu is committed to ensuring academic stability in schools and will provide the necessary support to end the era of academic disruptions in tertiary institutions.
“Most of ASUU’s demands date back to 1981, and nearly every government has dealt with ASUU strikes. But the President made a campaign promise to provide a permanent solution, and he has demonstrated his commitment through his actions,” Mamman added.
He also urged ASUU to be considerate in their actions and approach the negotiations with an open mind, ensuring that the interests of all parties are adequately represented.
