The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has refused to attend a
meeting with the Federal Government scheduled for today.
ASUU President, Biodun Ogunyemi, confirmed to Channels Television that the
union will not attend the meeting.
According to him, ASUU has met, discussed the new offer from the FG and
submitted a proposal to the government.
He said consequently, the union will only honour another meeting after
receiving a reply to their proposal from the government.
The meeting was confirmed in a statement issued by the Deputy Director,
Press, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Samuel Olowookere, late on
Monday, which was called by Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator
Chris Ngige, following the failure of ASUU to get back to the Federal
Government after both parties met on August 17, 2017.
Others expected at today’s meeting were; the Ministers of Education and
Finance, Mallam Adamu Adamu and Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the Chairman, National
Income Salaries, and Wages Commission, Executive Secretary, National
Universities Commission and the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress
(NLC) Comrade Ayuba Wabba.
The Union declared an indefinite strike two weeks ago, citing the failure
of the government to implement agreements reached with the union in 2009.
The National President of the union, Dr. Biodun Ogunyemi, announced this
at a meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU in Abuja.
He said during the strike, there shall be no teaching, no examination and
no attendance of statutory meetings of any kind in any of the union’s
branches across the country.
Dr. Ogunyemi declared a ‘total, comprehensive and indefinite’ nationwide
strike after a nationwide consultation with members at an emergency NEC
meeting held on Saturday, August 12, 2017.
He explained in a statement issued after Saturday’s meeting that their
decision followed the failure of the government to fully implement the
2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement and the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The ASUU president added that related demands made by the union were yet
to be addressed, which was why they resolved to embark on an indefinite
strike from Sunday, August 13, 2017.
Channels TV