The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, has clarified that the president did not give the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, two weeks to end the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Shehu said it was actually Adamu who requested that the Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, hands off negotiations to allow him lead and conclude what he had earlier started with ASUU.
“And he promised that he could get an agreement within the shortest possible time, possibly two to three weeks,” Shehu said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that “in carrying out this assignment, the Minister will carry along all relevant ministries and agencies with statutory functions and duties relating to the issues involved.”
The presidential spokesman further said the presidency is optimistic that agreements can be reached in an even shorter period if all parties/stakeholders are not unrealistically obstinate, while appealing to the parties to work together to end the strikes.