The Federal Government has express optimism that the on-going strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) will end soon. Education Minister, Adamu Adamu gave the assurance on Wednesday, while briefing journalists at the end of the weekly meeting of the federal cabinet, presided over by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.
The Education Minister said he would be meeting with leaders of ASUU to iron out grey areas and a solution would be found at the end of the day. “I will be meeting them later today or tomorrow and I am sure that we will be able to reach an agreement so that the strike will be called off as soon as possible,” he affirmed.
The Minister, admitted that the government had not fulfilled its pledge in some areas, however assured the University lecturers that an amicable resolution would be reached, as he highlighted some of the issues responsible for the strike.
“Already there is the issue of re-negotiation, which is the only one they agreed government is doing what it has promised; there is the issue of their own earned allowances, which we promised, but due to a communication gap, what we promised could not be done but I am assuring ASUU and the entire nation this is going to be done.
There is the issue of registration for the Nigerian Universities Pension Commission; the other is the issue of their staff school, which I think the court has given them the verdict to go ahead with it.
On the issue of Treasury Single Account (TSA) which ASUU also requested that they should be allowed to go off the TSA, he categorically mentioned that the government will not do that but there are some peculiar funds like the endowment fund, government will exempt that one only,” the Minister stated.
Adamu Adamu said the strike itself was not entirely bad, as he said it had in the past, led to the allocation of more funds to tertiary institutions, through the establishment of Tertiary Education Fund, TETFUND, without which, he said the University system would have collapsed.
 "Dubai Submerged In Flood")
