- Ahead of its scheduled meeting with the federal government, ASUU has said it is unaware of the alleged payment of N15.89 billion to universities
- The meeting is an attempt by the government to end the ongoing strike which commenced about 2 months ago
- The university body said when it gets to the meeting, it will be able to know what government has done and if it is okay by its members
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it has not been briefed on the alleged payment of N15.89 billion to universities by the federal government, two months after it embarked on strike.
The union’s National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
The unionist was reacting to reports that the federal government had on December 31, 2018, released N15.89 billion to universities. The report stated that the fund was for the payment of shortfall in salaries of universities.
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“Well someone actually drew my attention to that newspaper report. I have not received any formal letter from Federal Government, conveying such information to us. The only information I got from the minister of labour this afternoon when we spoke was that they have done something concerning our demands; what they have done, I do not know.
“The other thing he told me was that there is going to be a meeting between us (ASUU) and government on Monday. It is only when we get to the meeting that we will be able to know what government has done and if it is okay by us, then we will convey same to our members who will now take the next line of action," he said.
Recall that members of the union had, on November 4, 2018, embarked on what they had described as ‘comprehensive, total and indefinite nationwide strike’ to press home their demands.
The striking lecturers were protesting against alleged non-implementation of agreements they entered into with the federal government in 2013 and 2017. They were also agitating the poor welfare, poor funding, and general decay in education infrastructure, among others.
Since the commencement of the strike, members of the union has met with the federal government six times, to find a way forward to the issues, all ending in a deadlock.
Meanwhile, the national president of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Biodun Ogunyemi, while responding to the call on the union to call off the strike, said nobody had the monopoly of national interest.
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Ogunyemi made this statement ahead of the meeting that INEC wanted to have with the ASUU on Friday, January 4. He stated that the strike would not be called off until the federal government accept the lecturers’ demands.
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