FG insists ASUU must call off strike

THE Federal Government, on Friday, said the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has no basis sustaining its ongoing industrial action which has closed down universities for about five months now, while insisting that the action was becoming damaging to education sector.

The government said it initially did not see the union as being used by anybody or organisation  against the current administration, as it was convinced the striking lecturers decided to down tool out of what he described as their conviction.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, however noted that the industrial action which commenced in July was becoming damaging to the education sector.

The minister expressed  fear  that the crisis may  take its toll on  states as many of them would not be able to pay allowances to the lecturers at the end of the current crisis.

“By the time we finish with the strike, the crisis  will take its  toll on  states as many  of them  won’t be able to pay allowances,” he said.

Maku, who  noted that  the previous  administrations did not invest in  the education sector the manner the current  government is doing, further  stated that more time  was needed to address the rot in the sector. Read more