The Federal Ministry of Education has revealed that it is working tirelessly to prevent another strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), following a 21-day ultimatum issued by the union.
ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, emphasized that lecturers would be forced to embark on another strike if the Federal Government fails to meet their demands before the expiration of the ultimatum.
According to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, the ministry is actively engaged in efforts to address the outstanding issues that have led to the looming strike.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the federal Ministry of Education, Folashade Biriowo, simply stated, “The ministry is working on it.”
READ MORE: ASUU Threatens To Embark On Nationwide Strike, If FG Fails To Meet Demand
The ASUU President highlighted several contentious issues, including the emergency revitalization fund for public universities, payment of outstanding earned academic allowances, and release of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and third-party deductions of their members.
Osodeke expressed concern that the government appears fixated on its self-serving approach, rather than addressing the lingering issues that forced the union to embark on a nationwide strike action in 2022.
Despite the looming strike, Osodeke emphasized that the union is more interested in dialogue, shunning ethnic suspicion, religious bigotry, and plutocratic tendencies that hinder peaceful co-existence and collective happiness. The Federal Government’s efforts to avert the strike will be closely watched in the coming days.
