ASUU Strike: Buhari Did Not Issue 14-Day Ultimatum — Presidency

The Presidency has debunked media reports of an ultimatum issued by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to end the five-month strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and three other university-based unions.

Buhari was said to have issued the directive on Tuesday after he received briefings from the relevant government Ministries, Agencies and Departments involved in resolving the face-off with the university unions.

ASUU embarked on a one-month warning strike on 14 February 2022 and later extended it after the government failed to meet its demands at the end of the month. The university lecturers’ union later declared an indefinite strike.

But Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement said: “It is a pity that almost all media houses allowed themselves to be deceived by interested sources that are not the authorised spokesmen of government”.

Mallam Shehu stressed that neither during nor after the meeting was an ultimatum given to the Minister of Education. “During the meeting, the Minister of Education requested that the Minister of Labour hand off the negotiation to allow him to lead and conclude what he had earlier started with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). And he promised that he could get an agreement within the shortest possible time, possibly two to three weeks”.

Mallam Shehu further said that In carrying out this assignment, the Minister will carry along all relevant ministries and agencies with statutory functions and duties relating to the issues involved.

“The Presidency is optimistic that agreements can be reached in an even shorter period if all parties/stakeholders are not unrealistically obstinate. We appeal to the parties to work together to end the strikes”.

He further said that on the part of the Buhari administration, all doors remain open for dialogue and the resolution of the issues.

“We appeal to the media not to try to spread misinformation. The orchestrated media narratives seeking to present an entirely different picture, attributed to sources, in the last 24 hours are not helpful at all”, he opined.