ASUU strike not threat to reopening of varsities — FG

By CLEMENT IDOKO, Abuja

THE Federal Government has said that it will continue to engage striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities ahead of reopening of universities and other tertiary institutions.

ASUU has been on strike since March, 2020 over lingering issues including an attempt to force the lecturers to enrol on the Federal Government Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform.

Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwjiuba, while responding to a question on Thursday at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing, expressed optimism that there would be compromise before the resumption of universities.

He said the PTF would give directive on when the universities would be reopened, saying he was also in consultation with proprietors of private universities in the country who have continued to mount pressure on the government to reopen the education space.

Nwajiuba said the private universities owners have argued that since worship places and markets have reopened, private universities should be reopened if the public institutions were not ready.

He said the over 62,000 lecturers with more than 10,000 professors, are patriotic Nigerians who have also been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that they would see reasons to return to classrooms when the institutions are eventually reopened. (Nigerian Tribune)