ASUU Strike: FG Announces Cancellation of Meeting With ASUU

The federal government has announced that a meeting scheduled with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to hash out the kinks of the ongoing industrial action by the lecturers has been cancelled.

The meeting is said to have been convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige to iron out some issues with regard to prolonged the strike.

It was earlier scheduled to hold last week but  was postponed following a misunderstanding between the parties.

ASUU and the Federal government have been at loggerheads following government’s insistence on implementing the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) as the compulsory payment platform for the union, coupled with other outstanding issues bordering on undisbursed funds for revitalization of public universities.

READ ALSO: ASUU Didn’t Agree To Suspend Strike – Ogunyemi

The cancellation of the meeting was disclosed by Charles Akpan, the spokesman of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Charles, however, failed to put across any reason why the meeting was cancelled.

He wrote, “Good morning colleagues. Please note that the meeting with ASUU earlier scheduled for today is cancelled.”

Eko Hot Blog had earlier reported that the government had during the November 27 meeting with the union, pledged to pay N40 billion as the Earned Allowance and N30bn for the revitalization of the university system bringing the total payment to N70 billion.

It had seemed like the union was satisfied with the gesture by the federal government, as various media announced that ASUU had finally decided to suspend the industrial action, only for the striking lecturers to deny agreeing to suspend the 9 month old strike.

National Chairman of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, had said that the strike would only be suspended after a consensus was reached by the different chapters of the union, who were still in the process of consultation.