ASUU Strike: FG explains “reverse order” on reopening of varsities

New information has come to light regarding why the Federal Government hastily revoked its directive to the various university administrations to reopen public universities in the midst of the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) ongoing strike.

Consider the earlier directive to vice chancellors to reopen schools from the Federal Government.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members on strike were requested to “guarantee that they restart and begin lessons promptly,” according to the request sent to university vice chancellors.

Later on, it retracted its earlier circular in a new directive.

It was gathered that the opinion leaders and other stakeholders interested in resolving the face-off between the ASUU and the government mounted pressure on government requesting that the circular, earlier sent to mandate the reopening of the universities, be withdrawn.

A senior official in the Ministry of Education, who didn’t want his name mentioned, disclosed that “the circular was withdrawn to allow for more negotiation between government and the ASUU following the ongoing intervention by the Speaker of the House of Representatives”.