ASUU, FG Face-Off: CAANU Calls For Education Summit

The Conference of Alumni Associations of Nigerian Universities, CAANU, has called for the convocation of an education summit to resolve the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the Federal Government face-off.

CAANU made the call in a statement by its Chairman, Chief Richard Ahonaruogho and Public Relations Officer, Mr Adebowale Adelakun in Benin.

CAANU said: “There should be a holistic approach to solving this recurring face-off between ASUU and other staff unions in our universities.

“There should also be a holistic approach to solving the problem between ASUU and the Federal Government on the other hand as it relates to the conditions of service.

“We, CAANU, hereby call for an educational summit involving all stakeholders, namely the Federal Government, ASUU, and Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU.”

Also to be involved in the meeting are the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT and the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS.

“The Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity and CAANU should also be involved in the meeting,” the statement said.

It said that it might not be wrong to fault ASUU’s decision to go on the strike but appealed to the union to exercise some restraint.

The statement also called on government to immediately put into action the machinery to organise an education summit that will hopefully address this and other problems besetting education.

It said: “We need crisis free academic calendar to make Nigerian universities be at par with their counterparts in other climes.”