Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday said it has finished all negotiations with the Federal government and is ready to call off its nationwide industrial action once the negotiated agreement is signed by the government.
The strike embarked by the University lecturers entered its 142nd day today. ASUU embarked on a warning strike to press home its demand, on February 14.
The union later declared full strike, accusing the Federal Government of insincerity.
In an interview on Channels TV, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke said the union is waiting for a positive response from President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
He said, “As far as ASUU is concerned, the strike can end tomorrow, we have finished the negotiations, let the government call us this night that we should come tomorrow and sign the agreement, we will be there.”
“Let government tell us they have finished testing the UTAS, we have accepted it. By tomorrow, we will call off the strike. We are finished (with negotiations).
“We are just waiting, and challenging the government. When will they sign the agreement, and when will they accept UTAS? Those are the two questions we need to ask the Nigerian government.”
Osodeke said the government has failed to pay the striking lecturers their salaries for the past five months.
ASUU has been at loggerheads with the federal government, citing the refusal of the latter to honour the 2009 agreement it entered with the Union.
The union’s demands include the government’s investment in the nation’s university infrastructure, and payment of members’ salaries through the recommended University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), among several others.
