The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is set to take over talks with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to end the lecturers’ ongoing strike.
INEC’s Commissioner in charge of Information, Festus Okoye, had told newsmen in Abuja that the electoral body will be needing over two million ad hoc staff for the conduct of the 2019 general elections, with 70 per cent of that number coming from the university community.
ASUU National President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, said the electoral umpire has scheduled a meeting with ASUU for Friday, January 4, 2019.
The ASUU President said INEC cannot arm twist them to agree to any item on ASUU list of demands where discussions with the Federal Government negotiation team is stalemated.
Ogunyemi, who did not disclose the venue for the meeting, however appreciated the interest so far shown by the electoral body and called on more Nigerians to see their agitation in good light.
ASUU has been on strike since November 4, 2018, to demand for the full implementation of the 2009, 2013, 2017 agreements even though the Federal Government had in October approved over 20 billion Naira for infrastructure in Nigerian universities
Meanwhile, the President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Usman Dutse, has confirmed to that the last meeting with government that ended inconclusively over their ongoing strike has been rescheduled for January, 10, 2019, at the Federal Ministry of Education.
