President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to engage in further
consultations with relevant stakeholders towards ending the strike embarked on
by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Buhari spoke on Friday when he met with the committee of
pro-chancellors of federal universities, at the state house in Abuja.
“I will make further consultations, and I’ll get back to
you,” Buhari said.
According to a statement by Femi Adesina, presidential
spokesman, the pro-chancellors were led to the meeting by Nimi Briggs, chairman
of the ASUU/federal government negotiation team.
Briggs was quoted as saying they came to meet with Buhari in
his capacity “as president and commander-in-chief, as father of the nation, and
as visitor to the federal universities”.
He added that despite the impact of the months of industrial
action, “the future of university system in the country is good”.
He cited the recent listing of the University of Ibadan
among the first 1,000 universities in the world as “a development occurring for
the first time”.
Briggs also commended the federal government for concessions
already made to the striking lecturers, including the offer to raise salaries
by 23.5 percent across board, and 35 percent for professors.
He, however, asked for “further inching up of the salary, in
view of the economic situation of the country”.
The pro-chancellors also asked for a reconsideration of the
‘no work, no pay’ stance of the federal government.
They promised that lecturers would make up for time lost as
soon as an amicable situation is reached, and schools are reopened.
On his part, Goodluck Opiah, minister of state for
education, said all the concessions made by federal government were to ensure
that “the industrial action comes to an end, but ASUU has remained adamant”.
On Thursday, ASUU had said it is ready to suspend the
ongoing strike if the federal government shows willingness to accept “its
minimum demands”.
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