The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) on Wednesday traded blame over the four-week strike which the union began on Monday.
Adamu Adamu, The minister of Education in an interview with State House said the demands of the union bwere being renegotiated, adding that he was shocked when he learnt about the strike, saying it wasn’t the government’s fault.
But the President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, insisted that the union visited the minister on Thursday last week and told him what would likely happen.
According to the ASUU president, the minister did not mention the issue of negotiations when the union visited him, Adamu added that ASUU and government had not reached an agreement yet.
Adamu said: “ASUU, unfortunately, has gone on strike and I am looking for their leaders because all the issues are being addressed.
“The last thing that happened was that our committee looked at their demands but there are renegotiations going on. They submitted a draft agreement which the ministry is looking at.”
Speaking on ASUU’s draft agreement, he said: “A committee is looking at it. Immediately it finishes, the government is meant to announce what it had accepted. Then suddenly, I heard them going on strike.”
Talking about the meeting he missed while he was in Germany for treatment, he said:
“ASUU will never say that. I always summon the meeting myself. The meetings I didn’t attend were those that happened when I was in hospital in Germany.
“We want a peaceful resolution. The Federal Government is ready to meet them on all issues they have raised and if there are so many meetings and the gap is not closing, then, I think it is not the fault of the government.
“There is a solution to this. The negotiations are the solution and that is why I have said that I am surprised that ASUU has gone on strike.”
Adamu added: “I can’t give you time. I am ready to reach an agreement with ASUU now but since I am not the only one, I cannot give you time. But certainly, we are going to reach an agreement very soon.”