The Presidency has denied the reports that President Muhammadu Buhari directed the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to resolve the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The Presidency stated that Buhari did not issue any ultimatum to Adamu to resolve the ASUU strike after the President met with some Ministers and heads of Federal Government agencies in Abuja on Tuesday.

It said the Minister of Education only requested that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, hands off the negotiation to allow him lead and conclude his discussion with the ASUU leadership.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, made this known via a statement issued on Wednesday.

Shehu stated that the outcome of Buhari’s meeting with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to end the agitations by the striking university lecturers “ought to be beyond spin-doctoring and conjectures”

The presidential spokesman said many journalists were deceived on the outcome of the President’s meeting by sources that were not the authorised spokesmen of the Federal Government.

He noted: “Neither during nor after the meeting was any ultimatum given to the Minister of Education.

“During the meeting, the Minister of Education requested that the Minister of Labour hands off the negotiation to allow him lead and conclude what he had earlier on 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.

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“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.

“On the part of the administration, all doors remain open for dialogue and the resolution of the issues.

“We appeal to the media not 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,” Shehu said.

The Star