President
Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met the national leadership of the National
Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to discuss the lingering strike in the
education sector.
The
meeting took place at the Council Chamber in the presidential villa, Abuja. The
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been on strike since November
4, 2018.
Polytechnic
lecturers (ASUP) joined their university counterparts on December 12, 2018.
The
lecturers are protesting poor funding of universities and the failure of the
government to implement an agreement it signed in 2009 with ASUU to improve
facilities and enhance staff welfare at the institutions.
The strike
has left academic activities in the various institutions paralysed, and talks
held so far to resolve the dispute have ended in a deadlock.
NANS had
earlier issued a two-week ultimatum to the federal government, ASUU and ASUP on
December 23, 2018, to call off the strike or face confrontation.
Also, the
students’ association also issued a notice to all NANS structures and organs to
commence mobilisation for mass action against the federal government, ASUU and
ASUP.
Speaking
with journalists after the closed-door meeting, one of the delegates from the
University of Abuja said it was a productive meeting.
“The
president told us that the current price of crude oil is low and what the country
is generating from that will not take care of all that government needs to
provide for the people and also pay all the demands of ASUU,” he said.
He also said there were other areas
that require government attention.
When asked
if meeting and approving the stance of the president will not amount to
backstabbing ASUU, Mr Yahuza said, “the president told us the truth and we are
trying to plead with them. Just like the president said, the government is
going to look at everything gradually and in the nearest future.”
But, ASUU,
on Thursday, declared that it would not be distracted by the 2019 elections in
its struggle to revitalise public varsities.
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