ASUU said the Buhari administration can learn a lot from how former President Jonathan engaged the union in negotiations to resolve previous strike actions.
Pulse reports that ASUU has been on strike since February 14, 2022, over unresolved disputes with the federal government.
ASUU’s suggestion: Advising the government on how to resolve the impasse, Osodeke said in an interview with AIT’s Focus Nigeria, that the President need to set up a committee comprising of people who love the country and can negotiate dispassionately.
Jonathan’s tactic: He also said the Buhari government can borrow a leaf from the Jonathan administration’s playbook in which the union was engaged in 14-hours long negotiation to resolve the issue.
Osodeke’s word: “Government should for once go the way of Goodluck Jonathan. And in one night, we had that meeting for 14 hours. Open. Both sides were open, no class, no power, no sitting power, and we looked at all the issues and we resolved it within 14 hours.
“If this government can put out a strong team, if the president cannot be there, let him put a strong team together or people who are not part of those who are telling lies presently.
“People who love this country. They don’t have to be in government. If you can put this thing together and we meet to look at how we can resolve this national problem.”
The lingering strike: Pulse observes that government-owned universities have been shut down for over 190 days as lecturers continue to press home their demands which include funding for the revitalisation of public universities; payment of earned academic allowances; and adoption of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a preferred payment option.
