Varsities’ Strike Continues As ASUU Fails To Seal Deal With Govt

The hope of the Academic Staff of Universities (ASUU) and Federal Government reaching agreement over the lingering strike action in the universities has again been dashed.

The striking teachers and Federal Government failed to reach an agreement yesterday in Abuja.


The teachers are demanding the implementation of agreement entered into by the government with the union have been on strike since November 2019.

Even though the government claimed it has met ASUU’s demand reasonably, the issue of university revatilisation fund is still a major issue stalling an agreement.

While the union is insisting on the government releasing the sum of N50 billion as part of the first tranche of the revitalization fund, the government has said it does not have the resource and cannot afford to release N50 billion and has offered N20 billion which has been rejected.

However after their last meeting, the union said it was consulting with their members with the hope of meeting the government this week to iron out the gray areas.

However, both the government emerged from their meeting on Friday without resolving the issue and was not forth coming on what they discussed.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige was evasive when asked the out come of the meeting, saying, ”the meeting was protracted, but the good news is that we have gotten to the end of the tunnel.”

On what has been agreed on as money to be released by government as revitalization fund, he said: "We meet them half way, we have finished the gray areas and on the issue of N50 billion, we have offered what we have. We do not have N50 billion and we cannot do N50 billion but has offered them something reasonable. So they have taken it back to go and present to their members.“

He however expressed hope that students will return to school soon, saying, "We will know when they will go back by Thursday".

On his part, ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi was also evasive, but said, "we have adjourned till Thursday.”

Asked the level of progress made so far, he said: "I can not tell you that now until I tell my members. It is the feedback we came for today, but we have set of information for our members until we tell our members we can not tell you."

On the N50 billion demand by the Union, the ASUU President said: "Until we meet our members, we can not give any information. But we are making progress and the progress we are making is for everybody interest, and stakeholders will benefit at the end of the day. We will be meeting on Thursday, after which, we will address the press.”