President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday at the State House Abuja met with the Chairman and select members of Pro Chancellors of Federal Universities, promising to engage in further consultations with relevant stakeholders, towards ending the protracted strike by university
lecturers, under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
The Pro-Chancellors who were led to the meeting by Professor Nimi
Briggs, said they had come to meet with the President in three capacities
as President and Commander-in-Chief, as father of the nation, and as
Visitor to the Federal universities.
Professor Briggs added that despite the pall cast by more than seven
months of industrial action, the future of university system in the
country is good, citing as example the recent listing of the University of
Ibadan among the first 1,000 universities in the world, a development
occurring for the first time.
He commended Federal Government for concessions already made to
the striking lecturers, including the offer to raise salaries by 23.5%
across board, and 35% for Professors. He, however, asked for further
inching up of the salary in view of the economic situation of the country.
The Pro-Chancellors also asked for a reconsideration of the No-Work,
No-Pay stance of government, promising that lecturers would make up
for time lost as soon as an amicable situation was reached, and schools
reopened.
