Jonathan Orders Action To End ASUU Strike

The two Federal Government committees that have been negotiating the requests by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) were on Tuesday urged by President Goodluck Jonathan to take immediate measures at ending the on-going strike.

The Chairman of the Universities Needs Implementation Committee, Gov. Gabriel Suswam of Benue, made this known after a closed-door meeting of the two committees and other stakeholders with President Jonathan at the State House in Abuja.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo, the Chairman of the Earned Allowance Committee and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, were in attendance at the meeting. Also in attendance were Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyat Rufai, Labour, Emeka Wogu, the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okogie and the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadome.

Speaking with the correspondents, Suswam said that the meeting was summoned by the President "to take some decisions that would end the strike."

"The President has instructed us, as to what to do, and he has shown a lot of commitments to flagging off projects worth about N100 billion in all the universities in the country, about 61 of them.

"So, we are hoping that we will be able to see the end of the strike very soon.

"At the end of the day, we hope ASUU is satisfied with the measures that have so far been taken.

"The federal government will also be meeting with the Universities Councils and Vice Chancellors of our universities within the week towards updating them on some of the decisions taken," he said.

Suswam said about N100 billion had been approved by the Federal Government to his committee to address infrastructure deficit in all the Universities.
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