ASUU Strike: FG team fails to meet deadline to resolve issue

The Prof. Nimi Briggs-led committee set up the Federal Government to renegotiate the 2009 Agreement signed by the government with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and put an end to the ongoing industrial action by the union has failed to meet the three-month time frame given it by the FG to conclude its assignment.

The committee, which was inaugurated by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, on March 7 this year, was given three months to conclude its assignment.

It was gathered that Adamu gave the committee the go ahead to continue its negotiation with the union since there seemed to be some progress even though nothing concrete was agreed to within the time limit.

Therefore, the committee is expected to continue the negotiation with the union later this week after the public holiday.

When contacted, the National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, confirmed that his union would still meet with the committee later in the week.

“We have been meeting and we are still going to meet later in the week after the public holiday. We are always available for meetings and negotiations. If the committee was given a time frame within which to work, that is not an issue that should bother us,” he said.

Asked whether any progress has been made so far in the course of their meetings, Osodeke replied in the affirmative, but added that in due course whatever they arrive at would be made public.

Also speaking in a phone chat with newsmen, Briggs explained that the outcome of the renegotiation would be made public at the appropriate time.