President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu to end the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other university-based unions.

Buhari gave the directive during a meeting with some Ministers and heads of Federal Government agencies involved in the moves to end the prolonged strike by the university lecturers.

Although none of the attendees of the meeting spoke to newsmen, credible sources disclosed that President Buhari called for the meeting to receive briefing from the government team on why the strike has not ended.

It was gathered that the President, after hearing from those directly involved in the negotiations, ordered Adamu to ensure the issues surrounding the ASUU strike were resolved within two weeks and report back to him.

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Sources further disclosed that Buhari ordered the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, to be in any of the meetings to resolve the crisis, while the President asked the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, to be part of the team to discuss with the striking unions.

Those present at the meeting were the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Zainab Ahmed; the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige; and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami; the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, among others.

ASUU and other trade unions in the education sector have been on strike for over five months over alleged failure of the Federal Government to keep to agreement entered with the unions.

The demands of the striking workers include issues bordering on funding of universities, salaries and earned allowances of lecturers.

The Star