ASUU strike: Education Minister walks out on Nigerian students

The meeting between the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, and Nigerian students protesting the ongoing strike embarked by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ended abruptly in Abuja on Monday, February 28, 2022, as the minister walked out on them. The meeting was called after the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack Adamu Adamu and Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, for failing to resolve the impasse between ASUU and the Federal Government to allow for industrial peace in public universities.W

The lecturers declared a one-month nationwide warning strike on Monday over the failure of the Federal Government to implement agreements reached with ASUU. President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke announced the strike action at a news conference in Lagos.

The strike is coming barely one year and one month after the protracted strike that lasted for nine months was suspended by ASUU, with the students arguing that no compensation was made to students for rent paid without occupation, death of students and loss of a full academic calendar among other brunt born by the students during the period of the strike.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, while reacting to the development said he was not informed by the ASUU that they were going on strike. Adamu spoke through the Director, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Mr Ben. Bem Goong.

The Minister said the Federal Government has been implementing the agreements reached with the Union.

National President of NANS, Comrade Sunday Asefon, who led scores of students to protest against the strike action by ASUU on Monday in Abuja, said President Buhari should remove Adamu and Ngige, he noted have done nothing to end the incessant strikes in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

The protesters temporarily blocked the entrance gate to Phase I, Federal Secretariat Complex, housing the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment among others until the intervention of a Police Officer, Abdullahi A.H, who tried to pacify the students with the promise to arrange a meeting for them with the Minister.

Asefon, vowed that students from all over the country would relocate to Abuja to occupy the Federal Ministry of Education and Labour to prevent the two ministers from gaining access to their offices as long the public universities are shut. (Adapted from media reports)