Hope for Nigerian Students as ASUU Agrees to Call off 183-day Long Strike, Gives 1 Key Condition

• The national president of the Academic Union of Universities has assured that the union will call off its strike immediately after its demands are met by the Federal Government
• Emmanuel Osodeke confirmed that there is a scheduled meeting between the Nigerian government and ASUU leaders on Tuesday, August 16
• According to Osodeke, the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System enforced by FG on the union members is fraudulent

One hundred and eighty-three days after members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities embarked on strike action, their leaders are set to meet with the delegation of the Federal Government again.

The national president of the union, Emmanuel Osodeke, on Monday, August 15, announced that ASUU will be meeting with the FG to address issues relating to the ongoing strike today, Tuesday, August 16.

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Speaking on Channels Television's Politics Today, Osodeke said contrary to reports and claims in various quarters, the union is willing to call off the strike once the FG meets up its demand at the meeting slated to take place today.

According to him, ASUU has reached an agreement with the government to adopt the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) as the payment platform for lecturers.

His words:

"If we go into that meeting tomorrow and the government says, what you have bargained for, we are willing to sign, the strike will be called off.”

ASUU describes IPPIS as fraudulent

The Punch reports that Osodeke had earlier condemned the fraudulent activities of the Nigerian government towards the union members.

Citing the rejection of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) by the union, Osodeke warned that the IPPIS is government orchestrated fraud.

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FG talks tough, reveals fresh payment plan for ASUU after 186 days long strike

He added:

"We have been shouting all along that IPPIS is a fraud, we have told them that for 16 years they siphoned our money with IPPIS, they punished our members because of it."

ASUU: 3 weeks after giving ultimatum to education minister, Buhari makes crucial demand

President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier made an appeal to the academic staff union of the universities (ASUU) to call off its long industrial action.

Buhari made the appeal in a statement through his chief of staff, Ibrahim Gambari, at a special convocation ceremony and honorary degree on Muhammadu Ndume at the University of Maiduguri.

The president said the industrial action embarked upon by the university lecturers is undermining Nigeria's development in terms of human capital.

ASUU: Powerful southeast governor says “secondary and vocational schools” are enough

Legit.ng earlier reported that the governor of Ebonyi state and chairman of the Southeast governors' forum submitted his opinion that university education is overrated in Nigeria.

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David Umahi said university education is not for all, adding that what most countries strive to achieve are secondary school and vocational education.

The governor noted that the federal government cannot borrow over N1trn to solve the problem of ASUU, which has been on industrial strike for about 6 months.

Source: Legit.ng