We are ready to call off strike – ASUU President

President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke on Thursday said, the union is demanding concrete commitment from the federal government to end the industrial action that has lingered for close to seven months now.

Osodeke was speaking at a town hall meeting organised by Save Public Education Campaign Nigeria in Abuja.

He said the deliberate action of the union is not off track, as it is targeted towards repositioning public Universities and also changing the dwindling fortunes of the education sector.

Contrary to speculations that the ASUU president seem insensitive to the plights of Nigerian students, despite several negotiations, the union leader said, ASUU is willing to call off its strike if it reaches concrete agreement with the government.

“On all these issues, we have given the government a minimum that we can accept, but they have not responded on issue of revitailisation, on issue of earned allowance and on issues that we have all discussed.

“We negotiated and agreed that they should sign and this is very simple, not more than one day.

“On UTAS and IPPIS , we say release the report of the test you did and let’s look at the one who came first and take it as we agreed.

“So we have given them the minimum we want and we have to come down and they can do it in one day if there is a will.
“If the government loves this country, these children and their parents, then they should come to the table and let us resolve these issues in one day.

“Just as we did in 2014, they should come and ensure that we do that, we can even have the meeting openly so that Nigerians will see what we are discussing,” he said.

Reacting to suit filed by federal government against ASUU, Osodeke expressed fear that if lecturers are forced back to classroom, they will not be able to deliver their best and students will be at the receiving end.

Prof Osodeke also said for the country’s tertiary institutions to progress, politicians must stop interfering in the sector.

Also speaking, Convener of Save – Public Education Campaign, Comrade Vivian Bello said her organisation is looking forward to seeing students return back to school in no distant time.