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By Emmanuel Adeleke
President Muhammadu Buhari has begged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to consider the plight of students and end its ongoing strike.
Buhari made the appeal during the 19th National Productivity Day Celebration at the State House conference centre, Abuja, on Thursday.
The president also urged the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to be patient as the federal government is working on resolving the crisis.
Buhari recalled his February 1 directive to His Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Ministers of Education and Labour, Employment and Productivity, Adamu Adamu, and Chris Ngige, respectively, to address the concerns of the striking union.
It would be recalled that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), commenced its ongoing strike, on Monday, February 14, 2022.
ASUU had on Monday, May 9, 2022, extended its ongoing strike by another three months.
The body is demanding funding for the revitalisation of public universities, payment of earned academic allowances and promotion arrears, replacing the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) with University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS), and renegotiation and implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FG agreement.