Warning strike: Education minister blames ASUU, says FG not at fault

As the one-month warning strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, enters the third day, Adamu Adamu, minister of Education on Wednesday pushed the blame on ASUU for the incessant strikes,

The minister while speaking with State House Journalists after the weekly virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council FEC , presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said he has been looking forward to meeting with ASUU, “for declaring a one-month warning strike at a time the federal government is attending to their demands”

The Minister expressed surprise at the industrial action, denying that he had been shunning meetings with the union as he maintained that he had indeed been the one summoning them in the effort to resolve outstanding issues.

The university lecturers embarked on the strike on Monday to press home their demands, which they claimed the federal government has been reluctant to meet.

Adamu, who also failed to indicate whether the government can reach an agreement with ASUU before the end of the 30-day strike, said he is not certain about reaching agreements with ASUU.

“I can’t give you time. I am ready to reach an agreement with ASUU now but since I’m not the only one, I can’t give you time but certainly we are going to reach an agreement very soon.”

According to him, “After several negotiations between ASUU and government, agreement was still not reached, it is no longer the fault of government”

“ASUU, unfortunately, they have gone on strike and I am looking for them 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.”

Adamu regretted that the decision by the union to go on strike was abrupt in the midst of negotiations.

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On the draft agreement with ASUU, 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.”

Debunking allegations that he does not attend meetings with ASUU, Adamu stated: “ASUU will never say that. I always call 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’s 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.”

The minister also defended the discriminatory cut-off marks for southern and northern prospective Common Entrance admission candidates for Unity Schools, saying that it is in line with the Federal Character principle.

He said the policy will remain until such a time it is no longer necessary, saying: “I have nothing to say on that. I am not aware of any difference unless it is meant to satisfy the requirements of Federal character. I think federal character is required for the nation and it is accepted. There is nothing we can do about that. There would come a time when it would not be necessary.”

Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Ali Pantami, however declined comment on the allegation that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are challenging his appointment as a professor of Cybersecurity by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).

ASUU had on Monday declared the professorship awarded to Pantami as “unprecedented and illegal.”

Emmanuel Osodeke, President of ASUU, had at a press conference noted that the processes leading to Pantami’s appointment as a professor of Cybersecurity by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), were against the laid-down procedures within the university system.

“ASUU NEC rejects in its entirety the purported appointment of Dr Isah Ali Ibrahim Pantami as a professor of cybersecurity.
“From the evidence available to us, Dr Pantami was not qualified, and the said appointment violated established procedure for appointment of professors in the university.
“NEC directs all members and branches of our union throughout the Nigerian federation not to recognize, accord or treat Dr Isah Ali Ibrahim Pantami as a professor of cybersecurity under any quise NEC.”

This is as the institution came under heavy criticism from Nigerians, specially scholars and activists, who described the minister’s appointment as patronising and “an assault to Nigeria’s academic system.”

But when he was asked to react to the development at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), at the State House, Abuja, Pantami simply replied “no comment”.
He resisted several attempts by the newsmen to get him to react to the development, noting that the matter was already in court.

In September, 2021, Pantami was among seven academics who were elevated by the council of FUTO to the position of professorship at the council’s 186th meeting.