Minister Condemns ASUU’s Demands, Calls It Outrageous

Following the recent meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU, supervising minister and minister of state for education, Barr Nyesom Wike, on Monday condemned the new conditions which the union insists must be met before the 5month old strike could be called off. 

The three conditions were payment of four months salaries, which accumulated during the period of the strike; immediate implementation of the N1.2 trillion offered by the government to public universities,
starting with the release of N100 billion this year and the balance of N1.1 trillion to be spread over five years from 2014. The union also demanded that the salary arrears must not be paid in piecemeal. 
ASUU’s letter was delivered to the Minister through its Liaison Officer in Abuja but the minister has described the demand as outrageous.
Wike said: “I will have to see Mr. President to see how the government can go about this development, which is not favourable. It is outrageous. ASUU is now making fresh demands and this will definitely need further discussion.”
The minister expressed this view while meeting with state commissioners of education in Abuja. He confirmed that ASUU had given new conditions to call off its four-month-old strike.
According to him, "ASUU has given new conditions, after they had an agreement with President Goodluck Jonathan at the villa," adding that he would meet with the president on the new conditions by ASUU.
Meanwhile, the minister at the meeting with the commissioners assured them of the readiness of the federal government to support any state government in the development of its education sector.
“We must look at best approaches in the development of our educational sector. It is also imperative for both the federal government and all the states government to collaborate, as for the ministry we would support any state government that want to develop it education," Wike said.


The Nation