The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it is ready to call off its nationwide industrial action immediately if the Federal Government signs the negotiated agreement.
The ASUU strike, which has now entered its 141th day today started on February 14, with the Union demanding including 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 from the Federal Government.
ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, who spoke on Channels Television during an interview on Politics Today, said the union is waiting for a positive response from President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“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,” Osodeke said.
“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.”
The ASUU leader also accused the Federal Government of not taking the aggrieved lecturers serious, the reason he explained was responsible for the prolonged industrial action.
He also said that the government has failed to pay the striking lecturers their salaries for the past five months, noting that the tool used as a blackmail to punish the university workers will not work.