The National Universities Commission (NUC) has announced it will meet with Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, Pro-Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors of federal universities on the 6th of September over the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
This was disclosed by the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, in a statement signed by the Commission’s Deputy Executive Secretary, Administration, Mr Chris Maiyaki, and made available to newsmen in Abuja.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the NUC said the purpose of the meeting with the minister and others is to seek a succeeding solution to the crisis.
What the NUC is saying
NUC stated that the pro-chancellors and their vice-chancellors are expected to meet with Adamu, to deliberate on issues concerning the ongoing ASUU strike on September 6, 2022.
The invitation letter to the meeting which will hold at the commission’s headquarters, Abuja, is titled, “Industrial actions by university-based unions: Invitation to a special interactive meeting with the Honourable Minister of Education”.
The NUC said “As the pro-chancellors and the chairmen of councils and the vice-chancellors are quite aware, the industrial action by university-based unions has led to the closure of the institutions since Feb. 14.
“You are also aware that the non-teaching unions have suspended their industrial actions with effect from Aug. 24, while a final decision is being awaited from the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
“It has become necessary for the governing councils and the managements of the universities to be briefed on the decisions and actions taken by the Federal Government so far.
“This is to allow for a well-coordinated review of the situation, including building consensus around succeeding actions.”
In case you missed it
- ASUU had on February 14, 2022, embarked on a 4-week total and comprehensive strike to press home their unresolved demands on the federal government.
- Some of the lecturers’ demands include funding for the revitalisation of public universities, which amounts to N1.1 trillion, payment of earned academic allowances, and adoption of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a preferred payment option, instead of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), payment of promotion arrears and the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
- Nairametrics reported earlier that ASUU explained why it has transmuted its ongoing industrial action from roll-over strike to comprehensive, total and indefinite strike.
- The lecturers’ union said that the action is in protest against the federal government’s failure to release the promised balance of one tranche of revitalisation funds for universities after over one year, failure to release the white paper report of the visitation panel to universities and the failure to deploy the University Transparency Accountability System for the payment of salaries and allowances of lecturers.