President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to end the lingering strike. Buhari urged the striking university lecturers to consider the plight of the students and call off the industrial action.
The President made the appeal at the 19th National Productivity Day Celebration and Conferment of National Productivity Order of Merit Award, held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
He also urged the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, to exercise patience and do not disrupt political activities as the government tries to resolve the crisis.
Buhari recalled his February 1 directive to His Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, the Ministers of Education and Labour and Employment, Adamu Adamu and Chris Ngige, respectively, to address the concerns of the striking aggrieved workers’ unions.
ASUU has been on strike since February, 2022. The Union on Monday extended its ongoing roll-over strike by another three months, following the expiration of the initial three months.
The body is demanding funding for the revitalisation of public universities, the Earned Academic Allowances, the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and promotion arrears.
Others include the renegotiation and implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement and the inconsistency in the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS.