- Halimah Olamide
The Federal Government will meet with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other stakeholders on Monday to address the strike notice issued by the union.
Prof. Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education, disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists during a briefing on his one year in office in Abuja on Friday.
ASUU had earlier issued a 21-day strike notice to the government over unresolved issues, including revitalisation funds for public universities, payment of outstanding earned academic allowances, and release of withheld salaries.
The minister said letters of invitation had been sent to ASUU leadership and other relevant organisations.
“Most of the issues raised by ASUU are being attended to. The issue of exit from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) has been resolved by the President, but bureaucracy has caused delays.”
Mamman expressed optimism that the meeting on Monday would yield positive results, saying, “By the time we meet on Monday, some of these issues would be discussed and resolved.”
He assured that President Bola Tinubu was committed to academic stability and would provide support to prevent academic disruption.
“Most of ASUU’s demands started in 1981, and every government has faced ASUU strikes.”
The minister emphasised that the government was committed to finding a lasting solution to the issues, saying, “We will do everything possible to make sure we don’t go on strike.”