The meeting between the Federal Government and the Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities ended in a deadlock Thursday as parties failed to reach a compromise.
The meeting, which was held at the Federal Ministry of Education, was led by former Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, and aimed at discussing issues around the ongoing strike of the unions.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Nasir Gwarzo, was also in attendance.
Credible News recalls that on Monday, the JAC of SSANU and NASU embarked on an indefinite strike over its four months of withheld salary.
Addressing journalists after a meeting in Abuja on Thursday, Sununu, who was assigned by the new Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, to chair the meeting, said efforts were ongoing to resolve the issues raised by the unions.
He stated that the government was taking a holistic approach to the matter, with discussions reaching an advanced stage aimed at meeting the unions’ demands.
READ ALSO: SSANU, NASU strike persists amid government silence
Sununu promised that the government was committed to ensuring a stable educational system and finding a lasting solution to the ongoing crisis.
“We reviewed the reasons for the strike and briefed the unions on the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Education to address the issues.
“We assessed our current position and considered other potential issues that may arise, allowing the ministry to take a comprehensive approach.
“At the end of the meeting, we all agreed that we have made significant progress in addressing the situation, and we will continue to collaborate to bring the strike to an end as soon as possible,” he said.
A statement on Sunday and signed by the National President of SSANU, Ibrahim and the General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi, said the ultimatum it gave the Federal Government over its withheld salaries expired at midnight of Sunday, October 27, 2024.
The unions are demanding, among others, the payment of the four-month withheld salaries, improved remuneration, earned allowances and implementation of the 2009 agreements with the government.
Credible News.ng
