News Post

PRESS STATEMENT

ASUU Strike: Senate Will Bring Back FG, ASUU To Negotiation Table - Lawan

***Urges Students To Avoid Confrontation

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan said on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 that the Senate will intervene in the lingering dispute between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by bringing back the two parties to the negotiation table.

Lawan made the promise to the officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) who were led to his office by a concerned Methodist Bishop, Dr Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha.

NANS President, Sunday Asefon who spoke on behalf of his colleagues lamented the continued stay at home and disruption of their academic programme. He urged the Senate President to intervene in the dispute between the Federal Government and the University Teachers.

Responding, the Senate President expressed dismay over the turn of events, recalling that the Senate had intervened before everything broke down again.

He however promised that the Senate would wade into the matter again and expressed optimism that the issues would soon be resolved.

"You are in the right place. We are going to intervene. We will make concerted and sustained efforts to bring back ASUU and the Federal Government to the negotiation table so that we are able to resolve the dispute as quickly as possible those issues that are now very knotty and have stopped our Universities from reopening”.

"But I want to appeal to you too, since we are going to make effort to bring back everybody back to the negotiation table. You should give us the chance to do that, believing that we are going to find a solution because it is not only enough to bring them back to the negotiation table, but we will participate. I want to make sure that we find the solution when we start the negotiation again”.

"Now that you have come here, we are going to make sure that everybody in this sector especially those in public sector who have the responsibility and mandate do perform their functions. We will make sure they do that”.

"Now that you have come, I think we will join forces together to resolve this dispute. Time is of essence and we must do whatever is necessary to get this issue resolved”.

The Senate President also responded to the threat by the students to disrupt political activities in the country by appealing to them to continue in the path of consultation and avoid confrontation.

"I want to also advice, I do not think it will be necessary to disrupt political activities. We should not do that and we do not need to do that”. 

What we need to do is to continue to follow the path of consultation, consolidation and avoid confrontation. It is when you emphasise consultation that it is much easier for us to find something that you can consolidate.

"Your prayer that you want the Federal Government and ASUU back to negotiation table and resolve the issues. We have taken this prayer. We have endorsed it and we will work for it as quickly as possible”.

"It is an opportunity for me also to appeal to ASUU to suspend this strike because there is no way ASUU can negotiate with the Federal Government when it is still on strike. So it is an opportunity for us to have them, at least create a window, suspend the strike for a certain period and let us see how far we can go”.

"I want to be very positive, that we are going to resolve this issue as soon as possible by the Grace of God".

The Senate President said the 2009 agreement which is the Crux of the matter was not properly thought out before it was signed.

"Somebody just wanted ASUU to go back to the classroom and just signed everything there. We must understand that there are things that when we promise we should do, we must do".

Signed:

Ola Awoniyi

Special Adviser ( Media)

to the President of the Senate

Tuesday, 10th May, 2022