ASUU NEC meeting in Lagos to decide whether to call off strike

By Deborah Hassan 

Ahead of its next meeting with the federal government on Friday, the national executive committee of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, is currently meeting in the University of Lagos to decide on whether to continue with the strike or call it off.

The union said on Twitter that all branches were represented at the meeting. 

“#Just_In : Members of ASUU National Executive (NEC) currently in a meeting at University of Lagos today to discuss whether to suspend the strike or not,” it posted. 

It added, “Every branch here to meet and discuss before the general meeting on Friday. “

The federal government had announced some concessions on the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities by agreeing to use  the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) for payment of lecturers’ salaries instead of the federal government-preferred Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) payment platform.

It also offered the sum of N65 billion to address allowances and revitalisation of universities, along with clearing of outstanding salaries.

Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, said after a meeting between both parties that out of the N65 billion on Friday that the Accountant General of the Federation will release N35 or N40 billion for all the registered trade unions in the universities after providing necessary evidence of having earned the allowance.

He continued, “The FG reiterated that her offer of N40 billion or N35 billion, whichever is accepted by ASUU, was for all the universities’ unions. ASUU had proposed that N40 billion be paid immediately for all unions.”