The leadership of the house of representatives, on Tuesday, September 20, brokered a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) during a meeting with the union leaders, and Goodluck Opiah, minister of state for education, at the national assembly in Abuja.
The speaker of the house of representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, while confirming this development on Tuesday, September 20, stated that the house will also meet with President Muhammadu Buhari over the lingering strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Gbajabiamila added that the legislators will meet with the president when he returns to Nigeria from the United States.
Buhari is currently in New York, United States, attending the 77th session of the United Nations general assembly (UNGA).
Meanwhile, the lawmakers have invited the accountant-general of the federation (AGF), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), auditor-general of the federation, and the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to finalise on the meeting held with the union leaders.
The invited government officials are to appear before the leadership of the house on Thursday, September 22.
Gbajabiamila, while speaking after the meeting on Tuesday, stated that, “There are seven areas that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) presented as requisites to go back to class.
“We have looked at these seven areas and we have more or less agreed on certain things.
“Pursuant to finalising the meeting of our minds, we have asked that National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), accountant-general of the federation, auditor-general and the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) be invited to the national assembly.
“They will be invited to meet with the leadership on Thursday so that we can all agree to the agreement.
“We will meet with President Buhari and lay before him the agreement made by the leadership of this house.
“We are hopeful and believe that the President will buy into the agreement and with that, I believe that this matter will be speedily brought to a close.
“In the meantime, between now and when President comes, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) itself will go back to its members with the resolutions that we have come up with,” he added.
In his remarks, Emmanuel Osodeke, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) president, said that the resolutions reached with the lawmakers will be discussed with members of the union.
“Very soon, the issue (strike) will be resolved,” he said.
Recall that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had embarked on strike in February 14, 2022, halting academic activities in public universities for over seven months.
The federal government had also recently filed a suit against the union at the national industrial court over the lingering strike, according to The Cable.
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