Representatives of the Federal Government and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) met on Wednesday in Abuja to discuss and prevent an impending strike by university lecturers. The meeting will reconvene on September 6, 2024.
The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, announced that the government is collaborating with ASUU to address the unresolved issues that could lead to nationwide strike.
He said that a new executive team of pro-chancellors has been formed to tackle the concerns raised by the lecturers.
Similarly, a joint committee comprising ASUU, the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Ministry of Labour has been established to expedite the implementation of outstanding issuesx, particularly those with presidential directives.
During the meeting, ASUU was requested to provide detailed information on unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments, as well as outstanding third-party deductions.
To the minister, the meeting would reconvene next week to take feedback and progress reports on the various levels of implementation. This data will be forwarded to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for further action.
Mamman also highlighted the Federal Government’s desire to deepen security in the education system, asserting that the government will continue to do what is right and ensure that students remain on campus.
