Senate Will Return FG, ASUU To Negotiation Table — Lawan

Senate President Ahmad Lawan has indicated that the upper house will intervene in the federal government’s ongoing disagreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

“We are going to intervene. We will make concerted and sustained efforts to bring back ASUU and the federal government to the negotiating table.

“So that we are able to resolve as quickly as possible those issues that are now very knotty and have stopped our Universities from reopening.”

Officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) were taken to Mr Lawan’s office by a concerned Methodist Bishop, Sunday Onuoha, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr Lawan went on to voice his disappointment at the turn of events, adding that the Senate had previously intervened and committed to do so again to guarantee that the concerns were resolved quickly.

He appealed to the students to be patient as he seeks a solution to the issue. “We are going to make sure that everybody in this sector, especially those in the public sector who have responsibility and mandate perform their functions.”

On the students’ threat to disrupt political activities, Mr Lawan appealed to them to continue in the path of consultation, stating, “I don’t think it will be necessary to disrupt political activities. We shouldn’t do that and we don’t need to do that.”

NANS President, Sunday Asefon, who spoke on behalf of the students, decried their continued stay at home and disruption of academic programmes.

(NAN)