FG, ASUU Meeting To Stop Strike Fails To Hold
THE proposed meeting which should have brought the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and executive members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to a round table to discuss the 2009 agreement and stop the looming strike failed to hold on Thursday.
Recall that the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) had alleged that the Federal Government was introducing “divide and rule” tactics in the payment of salary of workers within the university system.
SSANU had also accused the Federal Government of plans to increase ASUU members’ salary by 100% and had fixed a meeting for 28 August 2025.
ASUU, which staged protest in selected university campuses in Nigeria, had threatened to embark on full scale strike if their demands involving the implementation of the 2009 agreement were not met.
Findings on Thursday, observed that the meeting failed to hold.
Despite the threats, the Education Minister, Alausa, is singing a new tune, saying the Federal Government never signed any formal agreement with ASUU, contrary to widespread claims by the union.
Alausa while addressing journalists explained that the documents of 2009 and 2021 often cited by ASUU were only draft proposals and not binding agreements.
“The Solicitor General has reviewed the matter, and I want to be clear—the government never signed any agreement with ASUU. What they refer to were draft documents that were never executed,” Alausa said.
He said contrary to perceptions, President Bola Tinubu has never been averse to resolving the lingering issues with university lecturers in a sustainable and constitutional manner.
“We have a president who is deliberate and meticulous in solving problems sector by sector. He has mandated us to resolve this matter once and for all, with honesty, mutual respect, and sustainability. We will not create bogus agreements that the government cannot fund,” he added.
On reports that he had scheduled a meeting with ASUU and the Minister of Labour, Alausa dismissed them as false, clarifying that no such meeting was planned.
He insisted that engagements with ASUU have been continuous, with discussions held as recently as last week.
According to him, the government’s side met on Thursday at the highest level—including the Ministers of Education, Labour and Employment, the Solicitor General of the Federation, and other key officials—to review ASUU’s proposals line by line.
A technical committee, chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and comprising representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Labour, the Salary and Wages Commission, the National Universities Commission, TETFund, and the Budget Office, has been tasked with harmonising a counter-proposal for ASUU.
“This is the first time such a process is being done constitutionally to ensure every component is actionable and sustainable. Once our proposal is ready, it will be forwarded through the Yayale Ahmed Committee to ASUU for further deliberations,” Alausa explained.
According to him, Tinubu remains committed not to allow disruptions to academic activities.
“We now have a responsive government. President Tinubu keeps his promises, and he has directed us to ensure universities remain open and our children stay in school,” he said.
