ASUU strike, not to our knowledge — FG claims

The Federal Government has stated that it is not aware of the strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), calling it unwarranted as no notice of strike was received from the leadership of the Union either verbally or in writing to that effect.

This was contained in a statement issued on Monday, February 14, by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, while reacting to the development.

Adamu said he was not informed by the ASUU that they were going on strike in the statement issued through the Director, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Mr Ben. Bem Goong.

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The Minister said the Federal Government has been implementing the agreements reached with the Union.

But the National Association of Nigerian Students has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the Miniter of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu and Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige for failing to resolve the impasse between the ASUU and Federal Government to allow for industrial peace in public universities.

The lecturers declared a one-month nationwide warning strike on Monday over the failure of the Federal Government to implement agreements reached with ASUU. President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke announced the strike action at a news conference in Lagos.

The strike is coming barely one year and one month after the protracted strike that lasted for nine months was suspended by ASUU, with the students arguing that no compensation was made to students for rent paid without occupation, death of students and loss of a full academic calendar among other brunt born by the students during the period of the strike.

National President of NANS, Comrade Sunday Asefon, who led scores of students to protest against the strike action by ASUU on Monday in Abuja, said President Buhari should remove Adamu and Ngige, he noted have done nothing to end the incessant strikes in the nation’s tertiary institutions.