Strike: Buhari’s CoS Wades In, Summons ASUU, NASU, Others

The Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, on Wednesday summoned the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and other registered trade unions in Nigerian universities to an emergency meeting.

Gambari will chair the meeting tagged “Tripartite-Plus”, scheduled to hold at Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa on Thursday evening in order to resolve ongoing industrial actions in the universities.

He also invited identified interest groups and civil societies organisations.

Apart from ASUU and NASU, other unions that have paralysed academic activities in the universities include: National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU).

The spokesman for the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, in a formal notice sent to our correspondent in Abuja, explained that Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who will host the meeting.

Oshundun said, “The Honourable Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, will host a Tripartite-Plus meeting between the government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other registered trade unions in Nigerian universities, as well as identified interest groups and civil societies, on the on-going industrial actions by the trade unions.

“The Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Agboola Gambari, will chair the meeting. The meeting is scheduled as follows: Thursday, 12th May, 2022 by 4.00pm”.

The university lecturers had on Monday extended its ongoing strike by twelve weeks, saying it did so with a view to giving the federal government ample opportunity to find lasting solutions to their demands. The development had generated a lot of outcry across the country.

Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU President, who announced this at the end of the union’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which was held in Abuja on Sunday, berated the government for treating issues at hand with levity.