Buhari orders education minister, Adamu, to resolve dispute with ASUU in 14 days
by Ebor Cletus Ralph Jr
On Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari gave Adamu Adamu, the minister of education, a 14-day deadline to settle the conflict with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
At a meeting with the minister and other Federal Government agencies at State House in Abuja, the president issued the directive.
Following reports of a planned nationwide demonstration by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other organisations and individuals in support of the striking university lecturers, Buhari summoned the minister and instructed Adamu to see that the problems were resolved within 14 days and report back to him.
On February 14, ASUU began a 30-day warning strike in protest of the federal government’s disregard for the deal that both sides had signed.
The union had extended the strike at least three more times since it commenced more than five months ago.
The lecturers are protesting the poor funding of universities, non-payment of salaries and earned academic allowances as well as the adoption of Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as the payment platform for staff in the nation’s institutions.