ASUU's strike is now in its sixth month, and President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the federal government's delegation, led by Education Minister Adamu Adamu, to find a solution within the next two weeks and report back to him.
According to sources familiar with the meeting who spoke to BusinessDay, the Education Minister had not done enough to address the ongoing crises when the relevant federal government team met on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa.
ASUU's leadership announced a warning strike on February 14, 2022, to alert the government to the problems in the educational system caused by the failure of the government to uphold agreements made with the organization since 1999.
The President heard a briefing from the government team at the meeting, which was also attended by the Ministers of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, Education, Adamu Adamu, Communication, and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, Ekpo Nta, Chairman, National Salaries and Wages Commission, Digital Economy, and Ben Akabueze, Director General, (DG) Budget Office.
The President called the meeting as pressure mounted on the federal government to address the crisis that has persisted for six months or face the complete collapse of the economy in response to threats from other significant government institutions to join the ASUU strike.
In a speech Monday in Daura, Katsina State, President Muhammadu Buhari urged ASUU members to reevaluate their stance on the protracted strike, expressing concern that the disruption will have generational effects on families, the educational system, and the nation's future growth.
The President stated that the strike had already taken a toll on the psychology of parents, students, and other stakeholders, bringing up many moral issues that already begged for attention, while hosting some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), legislators, and political leaders at his residence in Daura.
While reassuring students that the government understands their position and that negotiations should continue, President Buhari underlined that the quality of educational institutions and education depend on the future of the nation.
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