The Minister of information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a briefing with the State house reporters, said that the issues preventing the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) from ending the ongoing strike are more complex than it appears.
Driving the news
Lai Mohammed, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu disclosed that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a N964 million project for the provision of 109 e-learning educational centres across the 36 states in the country.
- The project aims to provide satellite-based education to 4,360 users by installing 109 vast mile servers in three schools in each state, which can connect about 100 devices.
- The Minister defended the approval by saying the complexities surrounding ASUU’s demands is not as simple as Nigerians think.
Quick catch-up
ASUU has been on strike since February 14th 2022, following the non-payment of funds in several agreements between the union and the federal government. After a one-month strike and a two-month extension, ASUU embarked on a 12 weeks strike from the 10th of May 2022.
What Lai Mohammed is saying
The Minister expressed worry over the prolonged strike that has lasted for over four months. He said “like any government, if we’re not concerned, we would not set up all the committees which have been working. If we are not concerned, we will not be looking for means to even assuage the feelings of the union.”
What you should know
- The federal government inaugurated a committee to renegotiate the terms of the 2009 federal government/ASUU agreement. They are also to submit a report within three months of their inauguration.
- The three months’ period expires today and there is no public agreement between the federal government and ASUU.
- Other Nigerian-based university unions have also embarked on a strike action to express their displeasure to the federal government. These unions include the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Union of Universities and Associated Institutions (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).