With the controversies and sentiments surrounding the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU lingers on, the presidency has backtracked on the ultimatum which had been allegedly slammed by the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari to the Minister of Education Adamu Adamu, which came in a bid to put an end to the industrial action by the union.
Garba Shehu who is the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President had come out on Wednesday to openly give a detailed insight into the interventionist moves which had been taking place within the presidency.
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According to the presidency, “the outcome of the meeting held by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to end the agitations by university unions ought to be beyond spin-doctoring and conjectures.
Indirectly chiding the media, he said it was a pity that almost all media houses allowed themselves to be deceived by interested sources that are not the authorized spokesmen of government. He reiterated that neither during nor after the meeting was an ultimatum given to the Minister of Education.
According to him, during the meeting, the Minister of Education had specifically requested that the Minister of Labour hands off the negotiation to allow him to lead and conclude what he had earlier started with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
And he had also promised that he could get an agreement within the shortest possible time, possibly two to three weeks.
“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 Presidency is optimistic that agreements can be reached in an even shorter period if all parties/stakeholders are not unrealistically obstinate. We appeal to the parties to work together to end the strikes.
“On the part of the administration, all doors remain open for dialogue and the resolution of the issues.
“We appeal to the media not try to spread misinformation. The orchestrated media narratives seeking to present an entirely different picture, attributed to sources, in the last 24 hours are not helpful at all,” Shehu noted in a statement on Wednesday.