FG in talks with ASUU on strike –Maku

Abuja — THE Federal Government has
expressed worry at the distortion in
school calendar as a result of the ongoing
Academic Staff Union of Universities,
ASUU, strike, saying that it is committed
to the speedy resolution of the crisis for
the sake of Nigerian students.
Minister of Information, Labaran Maku,
told State House correspondents at the
end of yesterday's Federal Executive
Council, FEC, meeting that government
was committed to "serious negotiations"
with the university lecturers.
He appealed to students and parents to
bear with government and show more
understanding as efforts are being made
to resolve the contending issues very
soon.
He said: "The Federal Government has
been far more worried than you think
concerning the strike in tertiary
institutions, because of the disruption of
the school calendar and so government is
concerned and very worried.
"Since the onset of the strike,
government has been negotiating with
ASUU through the Ministry of Labour and
Productivity and the Ministry of
Education.
"We know that these negotiations are
going on and it is our expectation that
this strike will not get more protracted
and that an understanding will be reached
soon."