President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off its ongoing industrial action.
He implored Thursday while speaking at the National Productivity Order of Merit Awards with the theme “Achieving Higher Productivity Through Improved Educational System.”
The President said he had directed his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, and other senior cabinet members to convene a meeting with ASUU officials towards meeting their demands and ending the ongoing strike.
ASUU has been on strike since 14 February when it commenced a four-week warning strike that was later extended by eight weeks in March.
The union again announced another 12 weeks extension on Monday.
ASUU wants the government to release the revitalisation funds for universities, renegotiate and implement the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, pay the earned allowances of university lecturers, and deploy the UTAS payment platform for their monthly salary.
University students who have been at home for close to three months have threatened to carry out a massive protest in Abuja.