The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has extended its ongoing six-month-old strike after a series of meetings with the Federal Government.
ASUU Strike Continues
KanyiDaily recalls that ASUU had embarked on a warning strike since February 14, over the failure of the federal government to meet its demands.
Amid the strike, the government and the union have held a series of meetings, but no agreement has been reached by both sides on ending the strike.
After 196 days of being on industrial action, ASUU has extended the strike following the National Executive Council meeting at the union’s headquarters at the University of Abuja on Monday, August 29.
The action of the striking university lecturers’ union dashes the hopes of many, including parents, who had expressed optimism while the NEC was meeting.
The spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, in an interview with The PUNCH, explained that the government had taken all possible steps to end the strike.
Goong said, “As regards the next steps, the government has already inaugurated a committee to harmonise the IPPIS, UTAS, and UP3. This will ensure that the government will pay with only one payment platform that will harmonise all the technical peculiarities.
“If you bring some demands and almost 80% have been attended to, there is no need to drag the strike anymore.
“It is unreasonable for the strike to be lingering seeing as the government has worked towards fulfilling most of the demands.”
KanyiDaily recalls that ASUU had recently expressed optimism that the union will suspend the ongoing strike if the federal government agrees to its demands.