Buhari Orders Education Minister To Resolve ASUU Strike In Two Weeks

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and three other university-based unions have been on strike for five months over their welfare packages.

President Buhari gave the directive on Tuesday after he received briefings from the relevant government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) involved in resolving the face-off with the university unions.

The three other unions that embarked on strike like ASUU are the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) respectively.

President Buhari summoned the high-powered Tuesday meeting to receive briefings from the government team on why the strike has lingered for too long.

Sources privy to what transpired at the meeting revealed that the President, after hearing from the relevant MDAs directly involved in the matter, ordered the Minister of Education to ensure that the impasse was resolved within two weeks and report back to him.

It was also gathered from sources at the meeting that President Buhari directed that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige must be in any of the meetings to resolve the country's education crisis.

One of the sources further said that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, should be part of the team to interface with the striking unions.

Those who attended the meeting are the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Ngige, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, the Chairman of National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, the Director-General Budget Office, Ben Akabueze.